You're More Than Amazing
by CoolDiva
Summary: Tommy chose to shield his heart after being left at the altar. Can a past love break through that shield? TommyKatherine.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **It's nice to dream, isn't it?

**Author's Notes**:

I wanted to put this** T/Kat** fic out because there's such a **severe** shortage of 'em. By the by, the rangers' jobs will most likely be the same in just about every fic I write, LOL.

(Sighs) _Yes_, the main pairing was **stated in the summary**. Meaning: **Overlook** it if you **fervently** **hate** the very idea of them or any other pairing for that matter, please. Only **constructive criticism** will be **well-received**. Flames will be _**ignored**_. I **only** wanna hear thoughts on the **story**...** not** the pairing. If you're mature and fair-minded, come on in! Love ya all, no matter what, though.

* * *

**Quote:** "You come to love not by finding the perfect person, but, by seeing an imperfect person perfectly."

* * *

**You're More Than Amazing  
**

It was the second Saturday in July and a bright, summer afternoon in Reefside, California. Tommy Oliver, Rocky DeSantos and Jason Scott were all playing basketball in Reefside Park. The three twenty-eight-year-old men had been playing for over an hour. The game had been Rocky's suggestion. It'd been awhile since any of them had played any kind of sports.

A couple minutes later, Jason bounced the ball towards Tommy and rubbed his hands over his face. Rocky smirked at his predecessor.

"Don't tell me you're tired, old man," he quipped.

"Nah. It's time for me to head. Hate the cut the game short," Jason said.

"What's up?" Tommy asked.

"Kim," Jason told the paleontologist. "She wants me to go... sofa shopping with her." His friends' expressions made the original red ranger narrow his brown eyes. "If I hear something even _close_ to laughter, there'll be a double funeral."

"Then, you know what, Jase? I guess I'm dying today because..." Rocky's voice trailed off into laughter. Tommy tried to hold it in for a few moments, then, he joined Rocky.

"Go on. Laugh it up. Lemme just get my cell and make the funeral arrangements," Jason said- causing them to laugh harder. "And you're in no position to laugh, Rocko. You've got it just as bad with Aisha."

"True story," Tommy agreed, grinning.

Rocky sighed. "Yeah, I know. I can't believe Kim and Isha's shopping obsession is still so strong."

Rocky- who was a chef- had married Aisha Campbell- who was a veterinarian- three years earlier. The couple lived in Stone Canyon- along with Adam and Tanya- and had one-year-old twins named Mateo and Bianca. Jason- who ran a dojo with Adam- had married Kimberly Hart- who was a personal shopper- three years earlier as well. They lived in Angel Grove- along with Billy, Trini and Zack- and had a one-year-old son named Jeffrey.

Tommy's grin faded and he looked down at the ball he was holding. Hearing his friends talk about their wives still made him feel a little uneasy. Six months earlier, Tommy himself was supposed to get married- to Nina Dawson. Yeah... supposed to. Unfortunately, Nina had other plans for their wedding day. Like... plans not to show up at all. Yeah, he'd been stood up at the altar.

Also, to make matters worse, she'd left a message on his answering machine saying how she realized she just really didn't want to be married. She'd gone on to give the lame "it's really not you, but me" speech. And her apology hadn't seemed very sincere at all. Tommy hadn't felt humiliation and pain like that in ages. He'd given his all to that relationship. He'd loved her with everything he had in him. He had done all he could to make her happy.

'_And just what the hell did it get me_?' he thought. Okay, it'd been six months. The pain was nowhere near as strong as it had been, but, it still wasn't exactly fun to think about. When Kim had sent him that letter years ago, that'd been nightmarish for him. But this was totally different since he and Nina were adults.

"Tombo? You okay, man?" Rocky's voice broke into his thoughts.

Tommy looked up to see his friends staring at him in concern. "Yeah, man. Yeah. I was just thinking about... Nina." His friends nodded in understanding and looked at each other. Rocky cleared his throat- a little too loudly. It was time for a subject change. Oh, yeah.

"So, you know what's great?" Rocky said.

"What, bro?" Jason asked.

"Kat choosing to come back to Cali for good," Rocky said.

Jason and Tommy nodded in total agreement. Katherine Hillard had been in London for the last ten years. Anyway, a few weeks ago, she'd informed her friends that visits, letters and phone calls had long since stopped being satisfying and that she wanted to move back to California.

"I'm really glad she's coming back to stay. After all this time, I figured she'd just settle down in England," Tommy said. Kat. Oh, man. He'd always really valued their friendship/relationship. She'd always understood him in ways no one else quite had. She was quite a woman. But Tommy wasn't exactly planning to seriously involve himself with anyone again. There was a wall around his heart now. Thanks to his ex-fiancee.

"Yeah. I didn't think she'd ever move back, either," Jason said.

"When's she flying in?" Tommy asked. He'd forgotten- surprise, surprise.

"Friday," Rocky replied.

"Oh, yeah, that's right. And the "welcome back" party Aisha and Kim planned is gonna be Saturday," Tommy said, nodding.

"Yeah," Jason said, nodding. "Well, I'm gonna head, guys. I'll catch you later."

"Later, bro," Tommy and Rocky said in unison as Jason turned and headed off towards the bench he'd sat his things on.

* * *

**(Seattle, Washington)**

Nina Dawson sighed as she entered her relatively small, but, charming apartment Monday evening. The twenty-eight-year-old, blue-eyed, brunette woman had just left her job as a receptionist for a doctor at the local hospital.

Nina had moved to Seattle six months ago. She could easily have gone back to her hometown- which was San Francisco- but, she'd wanted out of California. Not only because she'd wanted a different scene. If she'd gone back to live near her family, they'd try to convince her to tell Tommy about the discovery she'd made a few weeks after... leaving him.

Tommy. She didn't want to think about him. It always filled her with emotions she didn't think she was strong enough to handle. But, she was forced to think about him. Every single day. And she'd have to think of him for the rest of her life... .

A short while later, she was sitting on her couch, watching television- but, not really. She looked around her living room. She really liked this apartment, but, she planned to get a bigger one by the end of the year. She'd definitely need the space, after all. Nina placed her hand on her belly. Seven months pregnant. Yeah. In two months, she'd be bringing a little boy into the world. Tommy Oliver's son.

She closed her eyes and forced herself to ignore the all-too-familiar guilt. '_I can't tell him about this_. _Especially not now_,' she thought. Those words had been running through her mind ever since she'd found out she was pregnant. She wouldn't face him. She couldn't. Not after what had happened.

If she ever did tell him about this child, it wouldn't be in the near future, that was for sure. She was aware that the longer she waited, the worse the results would be, but, this worked for her. It made her look spineless and, of course, selfish. But, unfortunately, she'd almost always taken the easy way out and old habits died hard. She looked down at her belly.

"I'm sorry, but, I'm just not that tough. I hope you don't hate me when you're older," she whispered to her unborn child.

* * *

**It was short, but, that's who I am sometimes. LOL. And I know it wasn't the most interesting, but, my first couple chapters usually aren't. Sorry. Well, cya. **


	2. Chapter 2

Yeah, I decided to change the title. Not a very long chapter.

Thanks to **HarryPassionFan**, **Lilac Summer**,** Lone Nightblade,** **Zeopurple**, **Phantom Rogue** and **BlackTea** for reviewing the last chapter. :)

And, **flamers**, **thanks** for being mature (so far) by not leaving crazy reviews.

And on we go...

* * *

"So, I know it's a little early to be asking this, but, have you guys been thinking of any names?" Kim asked Billy and Trini the next evening. 

"Well, we've narrowed it down to five girl names and seven boy names," Trini Cranston- who was three months pregnant- told her best friend. The original blue and yellow rangers had married two years earlier- Billy was a computer engineer and Trini was a psychologist. The couple was very much looking forward to parenthood. Anyway, Kim, Jason, their son Jeff, Zack and his fiancee- Julia Ramirez- had come over for dinner. Julia taught math at Angel Grove University and Zack was a dance instructor.

"I can't wait to see the baby. And Tanya and Adam's little girl, too," Kim said with a grin. Adam Park had married Tanya Sloan- who was manager of a record company- five years earlier. They had a three-year-old son named Aidan and Tanya was six months pregnant with their daughter.

"Me, neither. What are you two pulling for- boy or girl?" Julia asked Billy and Trini.

"Well, naturally, we want it to be healthy. But I certainly wouldn't mind a daughter," Bily said.

"And I'd like a son," Trini said.

"That's a little backwards," Zack said with a laugh.

"Yeah. Usually, guys are rooting for sons," Jason said.

"Yeah. But I was hoping we'd have a boy, too, Jase. And I got my wish," Kim said, smiling at the one-year-old bouncing around on her lap. Then, she thought of something and smiled at Zack and Julia. "Have you two set a date yet?"

"I was just about to ask that myself," Trini said with a light laugh.

"So was I, truth be told," Billy said with a smile.

"We have, actually," Julia said, sharing a smile with Zack. "October. October fifteenth."

"It's my Grandma's birthday," Zack said. His mother's mother had died just a year earlier.

"Oh, that is such a wonderful way to honor your grandmother, Zack," Trini said with a gentle smile.

"Definitely, bro. It'd be great if she could be here to see the wedding," Jason said.

"I know, man," Zack told the guy he'd chosen as best man. "But, in a way, she will be, ya know?"

"True," Kim agreed, nodding. Everyone else nodded in agreement. Then, Kim's eyes lit up. "October, huh? Oh, there is some serious wedding planning to get done."

"Beware, Julia. Kim and her partner in crime- Aisha- are gonna go nuts. You've been warned," Trini said- causing everyone but Kim and Jeff to laugh. Kim smirked at her best friend.

"Aren't you Lady Comedy. And we don't go nuts with the planning," she said. Jason snorted and she looked him. "Got something to say, Scott?" she challenged, cocking a brow.

"Oh, just that denial looks great on you," he said with a smirk. Everyone laughed when she growled and punched him on the arm.

"You're lucky I love you," she said, wagging a finger at him.

"I know," he said, completely serious now. Kim smiled at that.

"So sweet," she said, running her fingers through his hair.

"Hey, if you two wanna start a liplock, _don't_. There's a kid here. And a dance instructor whom you've known most of your lives that might lose the dinner he just ate," Zack said, his eyes dancing- causing laughter once again.

* * *

Kat stared out of the airplane's window with a smile on her face. It was Friday and she was on her way back to Angel Grove- her parents would be there at the airport to pick her up. Angel Grove. Oh. It was so great to be going back. She'd loved London, but, she felt California was where she really needed to be. It was gonna be wonderful being with her family and friends again. 

And she was looking forward to getting closer to Zack and Trini- whom she only knew from what she'd been told about them and frequent visits to Angel Grove. She felt like she'd known them for a lifetime, though. They'd all taken to each other quickly when they'd first met. She also wanted to get to know Julia better. The blonde Australian's thoughts returned to Mike Robbins- her ex-boyfriend.

They'd gotten together four years earlier and the relationship'd ended a year earlier. Not on the best note, either. Kat'd felt certain she'd found the man she was supposed to spend her life with. Towards the end of the relationship, Mike had began changing for the worse. It'd left Kat wondering if the man she'd fallen in love with had ever really existed. He'd admitted to her that he'd been seeing another woman for the last three months of their relationship... and that'd he'd begun to fall in love with her.

Kat had been devastated, furious, stunned. They'd shared so much, they'd been so close. How could he hurt and betray her like that after the way she'd always loved him as much as she possibly could, supported him in whatever he did and trusted him? She'd always tried her very best to keep him happy.

It'd been a year, so, the pain wasn't so fresh anymore. But, she still felt a twinge of hurt everytime he crossed her mind. Kat sighed and stared down at her lap. The guy sitting next to her- who looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties- looked at her and spoke up then.

"Hey, hey, hey. You are way too beautiful to be looking so down," he said. "Tell ya what'll make you feel better. Making a new friend. I'm Ross. How are ya?"

Kat really wasn't in the mood for small talk at this particular moment and this guy was giving off not-so-pleasant vibes. But she forced herself to respond anyway. She looked up and at him.

"I'm Kat and I'm doing okay," she said.

"Lovin' the accent. _Really_ sexy. Where're ya from?" he asked, grinning widely.

"Australia. But I've been living in London for the last ten years," she said. In spite of that, her Australian accent hadn't faded all that much for some unknown reason.

"Interesting. Have you ever been to America?" he asked breezily.

"Yeah. I lived there for a couple years. I'm heading back to California for good," she said.

"You've had some life," he said loudly.

"That's true," she agreed, nodding slowly.

"So, why were you looking all low just then?" he asked bluntly.

"If it's all the same to you, I'd really rather not talk about it," she said.

"Oh, come on. We're new buddies now. You can tell me," he said loudly.

"The key word being "new", Ross. Even if I wanted to talk about it, I wouldn't feel comfortable talking to a person I just met," she said. '_And a person who seems to be a bit of an annoying creep_.'

He let loose an obnoxious guffaw. "Loud" was obviously his thing. He elbowed her in the ribs. "Come on, Kate."

"Kat," she corrected, a hint of annoyance in her voice. He didn't notice that he was already tap-dancing on her nerves like no one's business.

"You can talk to me! I'm not a total stranger. I mean, we exchanged names, ya know? So, talk! People tell their problems to bartenders all the time. _Bartenders_, for crying out loud!" he said, laughing.

"This doesn't look like a bar to me," she said dryly.

"Oh, so knee-slapping funny. Come on, Kitty. Tell-" Ross was saying.

"Don't call me that, please," she said.

"You don't like Kitty?" he asked, lifting his eyebrows.

"I'm not exactly big on people I barely know or don't know at all saying it," she said.

"Geez, babe. I was only makin' conversation. Like that's such a huge crime. Brrr. How many hours a day do you spend in the freezer, Ice Princess? So frigging cold," he said in his loud voice.

"I have a wonderful idea. Don't say anything else to Ice Princess for the rest of the flight," she said.

"Fine by me, Blondie. _Wow_! Can't even be friendly these days. Women. Can't live with 'em..." he said, scoffing, then, returning to the magazine he'd been reading.

Kat rolled her eyes. Lovely. She just had to get stuck with this "charmer" for a "neighbor". She sat back and resumed looking out of the window. She was sure she'd have no trouble at all ignoring Ross. Mike floated into her brain again and her heart squeezed a little. Mike. She didn't want to discuss him with _Ross_.

There was one person she'd talk to about it, though. They'd always been able to talk about anything. Distance hadn't weakened their bond. Not in the least. A soft smile lit her face.

* * *

**More about Nina coming up. And, of course, Kat's reunion with her friends. Oh, and Mike may or may not be necessarily outta the picture... . I know this was a little boring, but, it'll get better. Promise. Cya!**


	3. Chapter 3

Decided to do a quick update of this. Who knows why? (shrugs)

Readers/reviewers? You're angels.

On we go...

* * *

Kat was in her mother's car, heading to Stone Canyon. Her mom had picked her up from the airport a few hours earlier. She'd be temporarily staying with her parents. Anyway, she knew her friends had to be home from work by now. She was so ready to see them all. She'd decided to visit with Adam and Tanya first- hopefully, Rocky and Aisha would be there as well. They had no idea she was coming. They knew she'd been set to arrive today, she just hadn't told them when. She'd wanted it to be a surprise. 

A smile lit Kat's face. It really was great to be back. Of course, there were things she'd have to get done. Like looking for work, transportation, a place to live. But she wasn't really worried about any of that, though. She knew she could stay with her folks as long as she needed to.

A short while later, Adam and Tanya's house came into view. Luckily, both their cars were in the driveway. There was also a Jeep parked in front of their house. Kat's eyes widened a little. She remembered her friends' cars from the frequent trips she'd made to California over the years, so, she knew whose Jeep this was.

'_I didn't think he would be here_,' she thought as she parked behind the Jeep. Her stomach was feeling a little fluttery now. She laughed. Why was she feeling even slightly nervous? So Tommy was here. It really wasn't a big deal. It shouldn't have been anyway. No. No, it wasn't a big deal. Besides, she was going to end up seeing him eventually anyway.

Kat unbuckled her seatbelt and unlocked the door. Before opening it, she looked in the rearview mirror and ran her fingers through her shoulder-length hair. '_Hmm_. _I could use a little lip gloss_,' she thought, opening her purse.

After that was done with, she got out out of the car and straightened her shirt and skirt. Nothing wrong with wanting to look presentable. '_After_ _all, I did spend hours on the plane_,' she thought, ignoring the stomach flutters that didn't seem to want to go away. She took a deep breath and headed up to the house.

She lifted her hand and rang the doorbell. She looked around casually while she waited. Moments later the door was pulled open and Kat looked into the eyes of her pregnant best friend and grinned happily. Tanya just gaped at Kat, then, squealed happily- sounding a little like Kimberly. The former female Zeo/Turbo rangers embraced.

Tanya grinned at the blonde. "Girl, I'm so glad you're here! We were just talking about you. You look great."

"Thanks. So do you," Kat said as she stepped into the house. "So, you all were talking about me? That's hard to believe because my ears are ice-cold." Both women laughed.

"Adam and Tommy's in the den. Come on," Tanya said, leading the way. "Lookee who's here, fellas." Adam and Tommy- who'd been talking- looked up simultaneously and Kat grinned. Like Tanya, they gaped. Then, they both grinned and stood.

"Kat, it's so great to see you," Adam said as he hugged her.

"You, too, Adam," she said warmly, then, she looked at her ex. They just smiled at each other... both feeling like they were back at Angel Grove High. Tanya and Adam couldn't help exchanging smiles- though it went unnoticed by Tommy and Kat.

Tommy stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Hey."

"Hey," she said.

"You... you look really nice," he said honestly.

"Thank you," she said.

"Sure. So, um, how was your flight?" he asked.

"Okay- for the most part. I had the great pleasure of sitting next to a guy who'd almost make Bulk and Skull look like Boy Scouts," she said- causing her friends to laugh.

"How long have you been back in Cali?" Tanya asked.

"A few hours," Kat replied as they all took seats on the sofa and chairs.

"Aren't you jet lagged? We would've come to your parents'," Adam said.

"I know. But I _wanted_ to come to you all, Adam. It's really okay. As for jet lag... not really," she said. Then, she thought of something. "So, where's that adorable little boy?" She'd expected to see little Aidan Park running around.

"He's with Adam's parents. He won't be back until Sunday afternoon," Tanya said, rubbing her swollen belly.

"Oh, that's too bad. I was hoping to see him. But I can wait two days. Have you two come up with any names for his little sister yet?" Kat asked with a smile.

"We've come up with a few. Rocky thinks we should name her after one of the female wrestlers," Adam said, shaking his head. Tanya rolled her eyes and Tommy grinned.

Kat laughed. You had to love Rocky. "Rocky. I hope he never changes."

"Amen to that," Tanya said- causing Tommy and Adam to nod in total agreement.

* * *

Nina sat on her bed the next day- Saturday afternoon- talking to her older sister, Holly, on the phone. She was silently cursing herself for deciding to tell Holly about her pregnancy and her decision to keep it quiet from a certain person. '_Why_, _oh, why did I tell her? She's gonna tell Mom, Dad and everybody else. I shouldn't have said anything just yet. But what difference does it make anyway? They won't understand_.' 

"Holly, will you just-" she began.

"No, I won't 'just'. Neen, this is insane. He has every right to know about his child," Holly said.

"I didn't say I'm definitely never telling him. Relax," Nina said.

"Okay, when _are_ you telling him?" Holly demanded.

"I don't know," her younger sister said with a sigh.

"Well, I suggest you get started on figuring out when," Holly said.

"You know what? You're only making me regret telling you even more," Nina said, narrowing her eyes slightly. Sure, she hadn't expected her sister to side with her on this, but, still.

"Listen, you're my sister and I love you. I get why it wouldn't exactly be easy to just tell him something like this after all that's happened, but, you have to, Nina. You have to," Holly said.

"When I feel the time is right, I will," Nina said.

"The longer you wait-" Holly began.

"I know how it goes, all right?" Nina said snappishly. "I'll just have to deal."

Holly sighed. "I'm not trying to stress you 'cause that's the last thing you need, but... I cannot support this. I won't. Because it's just wrong. You're making a huge mistake with this "I'm gonna wait" choice. He deserves to know _now_. God, Nina. Haven't you done enough to the guy?"

"Which is why I'm gonna wait," Nina said.

"That doesn't make any sense," Holly said.

"It does to me. Hol, do you _really_ think Tommy wants to see me right now? Hear my voice? I can't just call him up or go back to Reefside," Nina said.

"Like I was trying to say seconds ago, it'll only get harder if you wait. Why don't you just do the sensible thing and get it over with? You're always doing only what works for you. It's getting old," Holly said in annoyance. "Try growing up."

Nina rolled her eyes. "I don't care what you or anybody else says. I have my reasons for doing this and I'm sticking by them. End of story."

* * *

"Want some company?" 

Tommy- who was sitting outside on Jason and Kim's front step- turned to see Kat standing behind him and smiled easily. "Sure. Have a seat." She smiled and sat down next to him. It was now several hours later and Kat's "welcome home" party was in full swing.

"Are you okay?" Kat asked.

"Yeah, it's just... well, it's a little hard seeing everybody all coupled off," he admitted.

"Well, not_ all_ of us are coupled off," she reminded him with a laugh.

"Oh, right," Tommy said with a sheepish grin. Then, he chuckled. "Well, I'm glad you came out here. We singles have to stick together."

"Absolutely. Think we should start a Lonely Hearts club? We could name it the 'Kat and Tommy's Standaloners Club'," she said jokingly.

"Hey, why does your name get to be first?" he said, mock anger- causing her to laugh. Then, she sighed.

"But maybe we're looking at it all wrong," she said.

"What do you mean?" he asked curiously.

"Well, being single isn't always a thrill a second, but... it's not like it's the very worst thing in the world. It's really nice to have somebody to share things with and love, but, it's not like we're completely alone. We're surrounded by people who care a great deal about us. That's important, too," she said.

"True story," he said, nodding.

"Tommy, I know I said this months ago, but... I'm so sorry about the whole thing with Nina. You really didn't deserve that," she said honestly.

He half-smiled. "Thanks. And that Mike jerk sure didn't deserve you. Kat, any guy that could do something like that to a amazing woman like you... . I really wanted to kick his ass."

She laughed. "It really wouldn't have bothered me if you had. In fact, I might've cheered you on," she said- causing him to laugh.

Tommy grinned and shook his head. Man. He'd really missed this- a lot. Being able to really talk to Kat like this. God, he was glad she was back. He looked at her. "Kat?"

"Hmm?"

"Welcome home," he said.

She smiled. "Thanks, Tommy," she said before they hugged.

* * *

**More on the way soon. Catch ya on the flipside.**


	4. Chapter 4

Here's more of "YMTA".

Hope ya like, love or just think "eh, it was all right". LOL

* * *

**Flashback**

_Nina laughed as Tommy picked her up and spun her around. He wanted to stand on his roof and announce that she'd just agreed to be his wife. They grinned at each other when he placed her back on her feet. She ran her fingers through his hair after he pulled her close to him._

_"I take it you're happy with my answer," she joked._

_"Kinda," he joked- causing her to laugh once again. He cupped her face and began caressing it. "Baby... happy's not even the word."_

_She smiled. "I know. I have no idea how to describe how I'm feeling right now. Tommy, I can't believe you proposed to me tonight. And it was so romantic!"_

_"Damn straight it was. I'm not the King of Romance for nothing, Neen," he said, his eyes dancing._

_She giggled and curled her arms around his neck. "Arrogance works for you, Doc Oliver."_

_"So, I've been told," he joked. "Nina... thank you for agreeing to be my wife."_

_"I'd have been crazy not to," she said._

_"I love you," he said._

_"I love you, too, sweetie, and I can't wait 'til I'm Mrs. Thomas Oliver," she said before kissing him... ._

* * *

Tommy blinked a couple times. It was Sunday afternoon and he was sitting on his couch watching television. His thoughts had somehow drifted to Nina and memories of their relationship and all. His eyes narrowed. They'd been so happy the night of the proposal. Well,_ he_ had been. She'd done an amazing acting job. Okay, maybe she'd been genuinely happy at first, but, still.

He couldn't help wondering where she was now, what she was doing... if she was seeing anybody. If he'd ever see her again. Well, he wanted to see her and yet he really didn't. He wanted to see her to really let her have it, lay into her for what she'd done. But he didn't want to see her because he had a feeling that it'd bring all the pain back in full force.

'_Well_, _wherever you are_, _I really hope you're having the time of your life._ _But, I also hope you_ _find out someday what it's like to have your heart stomped on_,' he told her mentally.

* * *

"Come on, Kat. That dress would look great on you. Right, Isha?" Kim said.

"Definitely. You gotta get it, Zeo One," Aisha said.

Kim and Aisha- the power shoppers- had decided to have a girls' day out. They'd figured that shopping should be second on their list. They'd all gone out for breakfast first. Anyway, they were in Stone Canyon Mall. Zack's fiancee, Julia, couldn't make it- due to other plans. So it was just the five former female rangers. The kids were with the dads.

Kat cocked her head. "Well... it is pretty."

"It's gorgeous," Aisha corrected.

"They're right, girlfriend. That dress works for you," Tanya said, nodding.

"I think so, too," Trini said, nodding.

"Since it's unanimous, I'll buy it," Kat said with a laugh.

Kim grinned at the three former yellows. "And I think a certain _single _paleontologist definitely wouldn't mind seeing you in it at all." Aisha, Trini and Tanya couldn't help smiling at Kat's expression. Kim's grin widened. Most would find it weird that an ex was trying to play matchmaker for her ex and, well, his other ex. Maybe it was. But Kim was just fine. She felt that Tommy and Kat starting over would not be the worst thing in the world at all. And she really wanted them both to be happy.

Aisha grinned at Kat and nudged the taller woman. "Yeah, Kat. His eyes are gonna pop right on out."

Kat smirked and chose to ignore the fact that her heart rate had suddenly picked up. "Remove all love connection thoughts from your minds, please. I just got here, after all. And Tommy and I are just friends- we like it that way. Besides, didn't he swear off love forever?"

"Yeah, but, come on now, Kat. He had his heart broken," Tanya said.

"And everyone who's been hurt badly says they'll never love again," Trini said lightly.

"Exactly," Kim and Aisha said in unison.

"I guess you're all right, but... well, like I said, we're just friends and we both like it that way. We're a thing of the past. There'll be no reunions," Kat said. Her tone was serious, but, her face felt more than a little warm... .

* * *

"Oh, my God! What are you _doing_ here?"

Holly rolled her eyes at her sister. "_Grrrr_eat to see you, too, baby sis. Are you gonna let me in?"

Nina couldn't believe her sister was in Seattle. Why the hell had she told her where she'd moved to? This pregnancy was stopping the blood from going to her brain. That had to be the problem. Yeah. Definitely.

"Why are you here?" Nina demanded, stepping aside to let her sister into the apartment.

"To try to talk you outta your idiotic choice .Nice place ya got here," Holly said, plopping down on the couch. "Wow, Neens. Looks like you're about ready to pop."

Nina rolled her eyes and slammed, then, locked her door. She headed over to a chair, sat and glared at her sister. "Hol, I already told you. There's no talking me outta anything. You wasted money and a trip."

Holly leaned forward and looked into her sister's very much annoyed eyes. "You're stupid."

"God, you're a sheer delight to be around. How come you never get invited to more parties?" Nina said dryly.

"We'll have comedy hour later. Nina... this is very serious. What the hell is _wrong_ with you?" Holly said, throwing her hands up.

"You just don't get it," Nina said, shaking her head. And why bother going over this again? Why couldn't Holly just get it through her ultra-thick skull that Nina was not going to change her mind? "And if you keep pushing like this... I may not ever tell him."

"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. And what are you gonna tell your son when he asks about his father? Huh? You gonna tell him that he doesn't have one? That he just dropped outta the sky and into your lap? That you made him in a **Build-a-Baby Workshop**? Nina, this is the very _dumbest_ thing you have ever done. And we both know that's saying a lot," Holly said.

"Only my sweet and perfect sister would come to another state just to fling insults at me," Nina said, a hint of bitterness in her voice.

"Don't start. I'm here because I give a damn. Nina, if you stick by your little waiting plan, the results will be_ ugly_. I suggest you go back to California as soon as possible and tell Tommy- well, _show _him- considering. If you guys talk about this now, he'll be upset about not knowing sooner, but... at least he'll get over it quicker. If you wait-" Holly was saying.

"I can deal, okay? God, Holly! How many times do I have to say that?" Nina exclaimed, her eyes wide.

"Don't do this to him. Or your baby. Or yourself. It's not fair to anybody," Holly said.

"Holly... I'm sticking with my plan. I've had enough of this ridiculous conversation," Nina said coldly.

Holly stared at her for several moments, then, nodded. "Okay. I was hoping it wouldn't have to come to this."

"What are you talking about?" Nina asked irritably.

"If you don't tell Tommy... I will," Holly said quietly.

* * *

_'You're dumping me? Me?'_

_'I... I just feel like a made a mistake.'_

_'A mistake? You're calling me a mistake?'_

_'No. I'm just saying that I was wrong. I thought I felt something deeper for you, but... lately, I've_ _been really missing her. She's been on my mind a lot lately. I thought I was over her. That there really was nothing left. But I was wrong. I'm really sorry. I am.'_

_'You're saying you're still in love with her.'_

_'Yeah... I am. I thought I wasn't. I really did. I really am sorry.'_

_'Bull.'_

_'Rochelle, come on. I'm-'_

_'Forget it. Just get outta my sight and try finding your precious little sweetie. Good luck with that. Or just go to hell... .'_

Yeah. That had all gone down the day before. He sighed and looked around his apartment's kitchen. He'd been sitting here at the table, nursing a bottle of water for the past half-hour. She was heavy on his mind. And how he'd screwed up big time. Big time. Nothing against Rochelle, but, she just wasn't... for him, after all. His heart was with somebody else... .

_'I was wrong_._ I was so wrong! I thought I knew what I really wanted. But now I really do know. It's you_. _Only you. Will you believe that_?' he asked her silently. He shook his head, leaned forward and stared straight ahead. '_Are you gonna let me fix what I broke_?'

He had work to do... .

* * *

**That's all for now... .**


	5. Chapter 5

_To those who care, here's the next installment_.

_Hope it's passable_.

* * *

Nina sat perfectly still, staring at her older sister in total disbelief. Had she really just said... there was just no way. No way. She was barely aware of the now eager kicking of her unborn son. Holly just stared back at her- nothing in her eyes. Nina began shaking her head slowly. Her sister couldn't be serious. She'd tell him? What the hell? And this wasn't even any of Holly's business! 

"Holly, if you say anything to him about _anything_... we're no longer family," she said, her voice ice-cold. Holly didn't even bat an eyelash. "I'm serious. I'll never forgive you."

Holly cocked her head slightly. "That's really too bad. It is. But I'll just have to live with that because what you're doing isn't fair to anybody."

"It's none of your business," Nina snapped.

"Wrong again. You're really batting a thousand, aren't you? I have a lot to do with it. That baby's my nephew._ Family_," Holly said.

"Speaking of _family_, why don't you get out of here and go home to yours?" Nina said irritably. Holly- who was thirty-one- had a husband of seven years and five-year-old twins, a boy and girl. Nina narrowed her eyes. "And he may be your nephew, but, guess what? He's my son. Until he's of age,_ I_ decide what's best for him. Case closed."

"Case reopened. What's best for him. Huh. Is what's _best_ keeping his existence a secret from his father? You really think that's a good decision on your part?" Holly said, cocking an eyebrow.

"You're talking like I'm _never_ gonna tell him," Nina said, throwing her hands up.

"It's possible. The longer you keep quiet, the more you'll want to," Holly said.

"That's not gonna happen," Nina insisted.

"How could you know that?" Holly asked.

"Look, you just don't get it," Nina said.

"Typical Nina answer. I do get it. I get that you're being selfish and ridiculous. Childish," Holly said. Nina rolled her eyes and Holly sighed. "Look, I'm trying to help you. You're making a huge mistake. It's gonna blow up in your face if you don't do the right thing _right now_."

"I'll be fine," Nina said, almost dismissively.

"Why don't you sleep on it?" Holly suggested in a gentle tone. She wasn't going to stop pushing this. She really wasn't. "I'll stay overnight- in a hotel since you probably wanna kill me. We can talk about this more tomorrow. After a good night's sleep. What do you say?"

Nina bit her lower lip and thought for a few seconds. Then, she locked eyes with her sister. "Fine. But you don't have to stay in a hotel. You can stay here," she said. Holly nodded slowly and Nina looked away. '_She_ _can talk til she's blue, orange and purple in the face. I'm not changing my mind_. _And I'll somehow talk her out of running her mouth to Tommy and blowing everything. God, she really makes me hate I ever told her anything_,' Nina thought, gently rubbing her belly.

* * *

**(London)**

Beth Richmond stumbled into the living room and up to the front door of her apartment. The red-haired woman had been sleeping soundly until incredibly loud, boisterous knocking had awoken her. It was ever so slightly past midnight and this person had better have a good reason for trying to beat down her door. When she looked through the peephole, she cursed silently, unlocked the door and yanked it open.

"Michael! Are you _mad_?" she exclaimed.

Mike Robbins just stared at her. It'd occurred to the nearly twenty-eight-year-old, black-haired, green-eyed man that Beth would have the answer to the question that'd been rolling around in his head all day long. After all, she and Kat had been roommates once upon a time and, as far as he knew, they were still friends.

"Well, don't just stand there. What is the matter with you? Why are you here?" Beth demanded, her accent coming in thick.

He took a deep breath. "Beth, I know it's late and I'm sorry to disturb you, but... this is really important."

"What is?" she asked in an exasperated tone.

"I need to know where Kat is," he said seriously.

She looked at her friend's ex-boyfriend as though he'd transformed into some kind of demon right before her very eyes. Then, she gave a short, dry chuckle and nodded slowly. "I know the answer to my original question now. You _are_ mad."

He'd expected this. "Beth-"

"Why on earth would I tell you _anything_ about Katherine? And, what's more, why do you even care? Isn't _Rochelle_ the woman in your life these days?" Beth said, curling her upper lip slightly.

"Not anymore. I just ended things with her," he said.

"Why? Wait now. Let me guess. You realized you're not over Katherine," Beth said, folding her arms over her chest.

"Give the lady a prize," he said grimly. He sighed. "Beth, I get why I'm not your favorite person- I don't blame you- but, I really need to find her and make things right again. So, please, just tell me where she is."

"Go home, Michael," Beth said coolly.

"Will you just-" he began, then, stopped abruptly and looked away when a new thought suddenly sprang into his mind. Of course! He looked back at the redhead. "You know what? Forget it. Sorry I disturbed ya. Good night. See ya." Then, he turned on his heel and headed off down the hall. She rolled her eyes and closed her door.

Of course. It was so obvious. Kat had gone back to America. Mike didn't know why that hadn't occurred to him in the first place. And this was just fine. Especially since he'd been born and raised in California- he'd moved to London six years earlier- so, he knew his way around, needless to say. He'd never been to that Angel Grove place... though, he did _kind_ of remember how to get there. He'd certainly always _heard_ about the place. The monster and alien stories. Wow. Oh, well.

He had arrangements to make.

* * *

Kat was sitting in a cafe that evening, having a glass of tea and a salad. There were also newspapers on the table. She'd decided to start looking for a job. The search wasn't going very well so far, though. She couldn't find anything even slightly related to what she felt she was best in- dance. Ballet. All right, she knew she didn't necessarily have to be a ballet teacher or anything. But it _was_ what she was used to. 

"Kat. Hey."

She looked up to see none other than Tommy standing there with a smile on his face. She smiled back easily. "Hi, Tommy. What are you doing in Angel Grove?"

He shrugged. "I always come to this cafe a few times a month to get dinner."

"Well, join me if you want. Unless you were getting food to go," she said.

"No, it's fine. Especially since I've got a reason to stay and eat now," he said, sitting down across from her. "Whatcha up to?"

"Job search," she replied.

"Any luck?" he asked.

"Not really," she said just as a waitress came over to take Tommy's order. After the woman headed off, Kat sighed and shook her head. "Truth is, I can't really find anything I want."

"In other words, can't find anything that has anything to do with ballet, huh?" he said with a grin.

"You know me too well, Dr. Oliver," she said with a light laugh.

"God-given gift," he quipped- causing her to laugh once again. He grinned."You know, Kat, you'd be great in a lot of other things beside ballet."

"What would you suggest?" she asked.

"Let's see..." Tommy said. Then, his eyes lit up and he snapped his fingers. "Hey, how 'bout some kind of counseling job? You'd be excellent at that since you're, well... you're a really understanding and... compassionate person." Simple words had left him feeling a little shy. He shifted a little when she smiled.

"A counselor, huh?" she said.

"Yeah. Or you could go to nursing school. Have you ever thought about being a nurse?" he asked.

"Nurse," she said slowly. That was actually a very good idea. Strangely enough, she'd never really considered it before. But, it really was a very good idea. And, just, maybe it was time she tried something different from what she was used to. Nothing wrong with that. She'd definitely think more about this. "I can see that."

"Same here," he said as the waitress returned with his food. "You could take online courses or go to an actual school. Or if not a nurse... well, I can't think of anything else right now, but, there are a lotta things you can do. I'm sure we'll come up with something."

"It's good to see you're so confident in me. It means a lot. Thanks," she said, reaching across the table to give his hand a gentle squeeze.

"No problem," he said before sharing a smile with her and placing his other hand over hers.

* * *

**If anybody have any non ballet- related ideas for Kat's employment, feel free to share 'em. If ya come up with nothing, I guess I'll just get back to the basics: ballet. LOL. Cya.**


	6. Chapter 6

Here's the next installment. BIG thanks to all who had job suggestions.

As always, love my readers/reviewers.

On I go...

* * *

Holly sighed as she made a right turn. It was now the next day- Tuesday evening- and she'd returned to California the night before. She'd gotten absolutely nowhere with Nina. '_I really can't_ _believe her. Who does she think this is helping_?' she wondered, shaking her head. The depth of her sister's selfishness was almost disturbing. Anyway, after a heated argument, she'd told Nina and that she'd stay out of the situation and let her tell Tommy on her own time. 

Yeah. That was what she'd _told_ Nina... too bad she was going to do the exact opposite. Yeah. Holly was in her car, heading for Reefside. When she'd gotten home from Seattle, she'd had a long talk with her husband and he'd agreed that this was for the best. Holly wasn't a big fan of lying, but, she couldn't let Nina get away with this. Nina'd always gotten away with a lot and it was time to put a stop to it.

'_I'm_ _sorry, Nina. But what you wanna do is nuts. You may never forgive me, but, your son is who_ _really matters here_,' Holly told her sister silently.

* * *

"Mama! Daddy! Can I have candy?" little Aidan Park asked eagerly. He and his parents were in the supermarket, getting a little shopping done. Tanya and Adam sighed at the same time and shook their heads as their three-year-old son jumped up and down excitedly. 

"No candy, Aidan. You're already bouncing off the walls," Adam said.

"What walls?" Aidan asked in genuine confusion- causing Tanya to laugh. The little boy's eyes lit up. "I want ice cream! Can we get ice cream?"

"Baby, we have ice cream at home," Tanya said.

"I want more," he said.

Adam laughed. "The last thing he needs is _more_ sugar."

"I know, right? Somebody could've told us a few years ago that I'd be bringing another Rocky into the world," Tanya said with a laugh as they headed into the cereal aisle.

"Unca Rocky's fun! Can we go to his and Aunt Aisha's house? They have cake!" Aidan said happily. Then, he quickly got distracted by the shelves of cereal and hurried over to them. Tanya grinned at Adam as she pushed the cart.

"Your son is something else," she said.

"Oh, so when he's on crazy sugar highs, he's _my_ son," Adam said, mock annoyance.

"Something like that," his pregnant wife quipped lightly. They looked at each other, laughed and continued to head towards the hyper little boy.

* * *

"Uh-huh," Jason said as his one-year-old son babbled nonsensically. They were in the kitchen. Little Jeff was in his high chair while Jason sat across from him. Kim was at the stove, cooking dinner. Jason looked at their son and nodded. "Yeah. That's a great point, buddy." Kim laughed and shook her head. Then, she looked over her shoulder at Jason. 

"Finally found somebody that speaks your language, Rex?" she joked. He smirked at her.

"Stick to shopping, Pinky," he said, then, he looked at Jeff. "Your mom's still mad because I've always been cooler than her." Kim snorted. "See what I mean?" Jason said with a sigh. "Some people just can't accept the fact that tyrannosauruses'll beat pterodactyls every single time in coolness."

"Cool!" Jeff said happily.

Jason grinned and nodded. "Right, buddy! Right. Can you say 'Red Dragon'?"

"Red Dwaaaagon!" Jeff said eagerly.

"Close enough," Jason said with a laugh. "Now say: 'Pink's bad.'"

"Pink bad," Jeff said, grinning.

"Red rocks," Jason said, enjoying himself to the fullest.

"Red wocks!" Jeff said.

"Good job, son, good job. Dad's proud of ya. You're definitely getting a car when you're sixteen," Jason said, highly amused.

"Jason?" Kim said sweetly.

"What's up, Firebird?"

"You know I'm gonna kill you for brainwashing my baby, right?" she said innocently.

"Of course," he said. Then, he looked at his son and whispered, "Truth hurts."

"I heard that, Scott!" Kim said.

* * *

"I think that's a wonderful idea, sweetheart," Mrs. Hillard said to her daughter. They were in the kitchen and Kat was helping her prepare dinner. Mr. Hillard was in the den. "It suits you." 

"I think so, too," Kat said. "I have Tommy to thank, though, because he's the one who came up with the idea in the first place. I'm glad he did." She'd decided to going to nursing school and she'd just told her mother the news.

"So am I. You'd make a terrific nurse, Katherine," Mrs. Hillard said.

"Thanks, Mom," Kat said with a smile. Then, she sighed. "Now, this just leaves me with the not-so-little problem of finding a job to support myself and I've come up with nothing so far."

"I'm sure you will, darling," Mrs. Hillard said. Then, she grinned at her daughter. "Oh, Katherine. I'm so glad you're home."

"Me, too, Mom," Kat said seriously before hugging her mother.

* * *

Tommy grabbed his cordless phone, plopped down on his couch and began dialing China Moon's number. He was in the mood for a little takeout tonight. Just as the first ring sounded, his doorbell rang and he frowned. Now, who could that be? He sighed in irritation and pressed the "off" button. The former rangers' leader sat the phone down on the coffee table, stood and headed out of the room. 

When he reached the front door, he unlocked and opened it to find... the woman he thought would become his sister-in-law. _What_? Tommy just gaped at Holly in disbelief. He hadn't seen or heard from her since the wedding that wasn't. What was she doing here? Was it Nina? Had something happened to her? What the hell could Holly want? '_Well_, _you could stop gawking like a dumbass_ _and ask_,' a voice in his head said. He blinked a couple times and cleared his throat. "Holly. Uh... hey."

"Hi, Tommy. Mind if I come in?" she asked.

"No. No. Of course not," he said, stepping aside. She sighed and entered the house. Tommy closed the door slowly, then, he just looked at the older woman. He'd always liked Holly, but, seeing her right now wasn't exactly a thrill because it only made him think of a day he wanted to forget.

"I know you probably expected to never hear from me again," she said.

"Well... yeah. That's, that's about right," he admitted.

She nodded. "To be perfectly honest, I didn't think we'd ever see each other again, either." Then, she swallowed hard. "Tommy, I'm here for a reason."

"Is your sister the reason?" he asked quietly.

"Kind of," she said apologetically. "She called me a few days ago. She's in Seattle." Tommy nodded slowly and Holly hugged herself.

"Seattle," he muttered.

"Yeah," Holly said. "Tommy, I just got back from visiting with her last night and... well, you and I really need to talk."

Tommy sighed. He needed to stop this before it went any further. The last thing he wanted to do was have a conversation about Nina. "Look, Holly, I know you're Nina's sister and I respect that, but, I really don't wanna talk about her, all right?"

"I understand that, but... we have to," she said.

"No, we don't," he said.

"Trust me, we do," she said.

"Not interested. Now, I'm gonna get back to ordering my dinner. Have a safe trip back to San Francisco," he said.

"Tommy-" she began.

"No, Holly. Just forget it," he said, then, turned to open his door. "There's nothing I wanna hear about-"

"She's pregnant," Holly cut in.

* * *


	7. Chapter 7

Here's the next installment. Some of my writer's block disappeared. Gotta hate writer's block.

As always, thanks **so** much.

**Still tryin' to figure out what Kat's gonna do to support herself while in nursing school**. **(Sighs)**

* * *

Tommy looked at Holly. "What?" 

"I said... she's pregnant," she said, looking into his brown eyes.

Tommy sighed. So Nina was pregnant. Huh. Was he supposed to grin and say how happy he was for her or something after all that'd happened? What was Holly expecting? He really wasn't up for any of this at all. He nodded, then, opened his door. "Great for Nina. Bye, Holly. It was nice seeing you again."

Holly frowned in confusion and was about to respond until she suddenly realized what the problem was here. Of course. He didn't think it was his... . She shook her head slowly. "She's pregnant, Tommy... _seven_ months pregnant."

He opened his mouth to tell her, once again, how he really didn't want to talk or think about anything Nina-related right now... but, her words registered in his brain before he could say anything. Seven months pregnant. Seven... . Tommy's body went rigid as he stared at her- stunned. It was as though someone had poured a huge bucket of ice-cold water on his head. Dozens of thoughts began running through his mind. Was she honestly standing here telling him that he was going to be a _father_? Or was this just the start of his journey through insanity? Had he really heard _right_?

"I know you're shocked. So was I. She told me that she found out a few weeks after she... walked out. I told her she should tell you as soon as possible, but, she kept refusing to. For her own selfish reasons, basically," Holly said, rolling her eyes. "I'm sorry, Tommy. I really am. This isn't how you should be finding out, but, Nina... I'm just sorry."

Tommy had no idea what to say. Or do. He was now mainly focused on the fact that boiling, raging fury had joined his shock. His eyes blazed. Pregnant. She was pregnant- with his child. A child he'd helped create would be making its way into the world in a couple months and here he was... just now finding out about it. From someone who wasn't the mother. His fury began burning even hotter.

Holly just stared at him with sympathetic eyes. "I told her I'd tell you if she didn't and it didn't go over all that well. So, I, uh, I lied and said I'd stay outta everything. Tommy, I know that this is a lot to take in and I really am so-"

"What is it?" he asked, the harshness of his tone surprising him a little.

"Huh?"

"The baby. Is it a boy or girl? Did she find out?" he asked.

"Yeah. It's a boy. You're gonna have a son," she said.

Bitter laughter erupted from him and Holly bit her lower lip. A smile that didn't reach his eyes appeared on his face and he nodded. "A son. So she was just never gonna tell me that I had a son? She was gonna purposely let a little boy grow up without a dad?" _Wow_.

"Well, she said she was gonna tell you on her own time, but, who knew when that would be? I kept telling her she was making a mistake by waiting, but, she wasn't hearing any of it," Holly said.

Tommy closed his eyes as yet another powerful emotion joined his other ones: pain. He was hurt. Nina standing him up at the altar had been awful enough, but, the fact that she wanted to keep his child a secret from him... . He opened his eyes and looked at her sister- who was watching him carefully. He knew she was expecting him to explode. "You know, I really can't believe she'd do this after what I told her," he said tightly.

"What do you mean?" Holly asked.

"A while back, I told her how I felt about my birth parents when I was a kid. You know. Wondering why they hadn't wanted me and all. I mean, I love the Olivers, but, I still couldn't help wondering. It was hell," he said. "And Nina wanted to put my kid through pretty much the same thing."

"I could say I'm sorry again, but, I know that won't really help anything," Holly said quietly. Her sister was a real piece of work, that was for sure.

"No, but, I'm really glad you told me. She should be lucky I'm the father of her baby. A lotta guys want nothing to do with their kids. They walk out on them. Nina knows I'd be a hands-on father, but, she still chose not to tell me anything," he said. Then, he rubbed his hands over his face and cleared his throat. "Seattle, right?"

"Right," Holly said.

He nodded. If it was a showdown Nina obviously wanted, it was a showdown she'd get. "Looks like I'm gonna be taking a little trip this weekend."

* * *

Kat smiled when Tommy opened his front door the next evening. His eyebrows shot up a little at the sight of the blonde. "Hi, Tommy." 

"Hey, Kat. I had no idea-" he began.

"That I was coming over. I know. I was on the road and decided to drop by. Am I interrupting anything? Because we can always talk la-" she was saying.

"No. No. I'm not busy. I'm glad you're here. Actually, you're just who I wanna see right now. Come on in," he said, stepping aside. "Have you given any more thought to the whole nursing thing?"

"Yeah," she said as they headed into his den. "I gave it plenty of thought and I'm gonna go for it. I'm going to nursing school."

"That's great, Kat. You really couldn't have picked a better career for yourself," he said as they took seats on the couch.

"Thanks. I still have to tackle the problem of finding something to do while I'm in school, though," she said.

"It's not gonna be a problem. You'll be fine. And, remember, I said I'd help you," he said with a smile. She smiled at that as well. Then, he sighed and shook his head. Man. He'd barely gotten any sleep at all last night. Holly's bombshell had really shaken him up. More than anything had in a really long time. Kat frowned in concern.

"Are you all right?" she asked, placing her hand on his arm.

"Nina," he said.

Katherine's eyebrows did the rising this time around. "Nina? Did she call you?"

"No. Her sister Holly came over yesterday... with really, really interesting news. Nina's pregnant. Seven months pregnant. With my son," he said.

_What_? Kat's jaw dropped. "I-"

"Hold on a second. Because it gets even better," he said, the bitterness returning in full force. "Nina was planning to tell me whenever she felt like it. That was why Holly spilled the beans."

"This is very... well, has Holly known all along?" Kat asked while her mind reeled.

"Nah. She just found out herself a few days ago when Nina called her. When Nina kept refusing to tell me, Holly decided it was best to just come to me herself and I'm really glad she did," he said.

"So am I. You have every right to know about your child. I really can't believe Nina would... this is crazy. It's like something right out of a soap opera," Kat said. Whew!

"Don't I know it," he said.

Kat shook her head. First, Nina'd stood him up at the altar and disappeared. Now, this. Sympathy filled Kat as she looked at Tommy. "I'm really sorry, Tommy. It seems like she really doesn't know when to quit."

"She's unbelievable. Why would she intentionally make the wrong choice as far as her child is concerned? I can't even wrap my mind around something like that," he said.

"Neither can I," Kat said. Then, she thought of something. "Did Nina tell Holly where she lives now?"

"Seattle," Tommy replied. Kat nodded. "I'm heading that way Friday."

"I don't blame you," Kat said. She honestly didn't. Nina was really something. Kat couldn't imagine purposely keeping a child a secret from their father. If the man wasn't a homicidal psycho, a dope fiend or even Satan's son, there was no reason not to tell him about his baby. None at all. '_This_ _is going to be some confrontation_,' she thought. "Are you gonna tell the others before you leave or are you gonna wait?"

"I'm gonna tell 'em before I go. Just get it outta the way, you know? The sooner, the better," he said.

"Right," she agreed. "Well, just remember that, no matter what happens, you'll always have a strong support system." She just felt it really needed to be said. His grateful smile proved her right. He took her hand in his.

"Thanks," he said. She smiled in response.

* * *

Mike stood in the center of the floor in his motel room, nodding. It was a pretty decent-looking room. He'd arrived in California the night before. He planned to get a rental car after carefully going over ways to win Kat back. Kat. Winning her back shouldn't be much trouble. After all, before things had gone wrong between the two of them, they'd had an amazing relationship. Shared an incredible connection. 

'_We've_ _gone through a lot together and we loved each other like crazy. I know it's been awhile, but,_ _she's got to still feel something for me. Love like that doesn't just fade_,' he thought.

Yeah, he could get her back. All he had to do was remind her of how great they'd been together. Remind her of all the good times. Show her that he was ready to be that man again. The man she'd fallen in love with a few years ago. It'd work. It had to.

* * *


	8. Chapter 8

Here's the next chapter. Decided to ignore the writer's block that won't stay away.

As always, I really appreciate the feedback. Love ya all.

* * *

"Oh! Jason, thank you. Thank you so much. You and Adam are sweethearts," Katherine said happily. "Thanks. Mm-hmm. All right. I'll talk to you later. Bye." She hung up the phone that Friday evening with a huge grin on her face. Jason had just informed her that the aerobics instructor at his and Adam's dojo had quit the day before- meaning there was now an opening, of course. He'd talked it over with Adam- who'd instantly agreed that they should ask Katherine. 

'_I have the most terrific friends in the world_,' she thought as she sat on her bed. So, she now had a job and she'd be going to nursing school. Only two things left to take care of: housing and transportation. Then, she'd be all set. Everything was going so smoothly. Katherine leaned back against her headboard. Her troubles were now over. Nothing more to stress or worry about.

* * *

"That was really sweet of you and Jason to offer Kat that job," Tanya said to Adam as they and sat down to dinner about forty-five minutes later. Aidan was at the table, bouncing up and down in his seat excitedly. 

Adam shrugged casually and smiled. "Well, Kat's one of our best friends and she needed the job. It's great things are coming together for her like this."

"Definitely," Tanya agreed wholeheartedly as she rubbed her swollen belly. Then, she laughed as her unborn daughter kicked twice. "I think your little girl just "voiced" her agreement, too."

Adam laughed, a warmth surging through him. He loved the sound of "your little girl". He looked at his perpetually energetic son and laughed again. "Wow. Were you drinking a lotta espresso behind my back when you were pregnant with this kid?" Tanya laughed, then, sighed heavily and shook her head. Her husband frowned in concern. "What's wrong, honey?"

"This thing with Tommy. My God, Adam. Nina must really be outta her mind," Tanya said, feeling a sudden rush of anger towards her friend's ex-fiancee. When Tommy'd broken the news to his friends, no one had said anything for at least a full two minutes.

Adam nodded. "I'm definitely with you on that one. I can't believe she never told him about the baby and was most likely planning to keep it that way. Who does that?" He looked at his son- who was paying absolutely no attention to his parents. The toddler found the task of putting his beans in his juice much more interesting. Adam shook his head. "I really don't blame Tommy for wanting to have it out with her. But, then, who could blame him?"

"I know I couldn't. Nina's selfish and crazy," Tanya said. The woman was a witch, plain and simple. All there was to it. Tanya looked at Aidan as well. She never, ever could've denied Adam the right to be a part of his child's life- even if she hadn't been so crazy in love with him. She looked at her husband. "I love you, you know that?"

"I love you, too," he said, reaching across the table to squeeze her hand.

* * *

Mike sat on the bed in his motel room, staring at pictures of Katherine and himself. The need to get her back was growing stronger and stronger by the second. It even sort of affected his sleep. '_We_ _look like we're on top of the world in these pictures, Kat. And we were. I know I was_._ God_, _Kat! I can't believe I thought for even a nanosecond that I wanted someone else! What's wrong with me? I can't believe I broke your heart like that- for nothing! You mean more to me than anybody else on this planet and I threw everything away._' 

He blinked back tears. He thought he wanted things to be like they were before, but, he didn't. No. He wanted things to be better than ever between them. He began tracing the outline of her face on the photograph. '_I_ _can't take much more of this. I need to see and touch you again- for real. It's time_ _you knew that I'm in town, Kat_.'

* * *

Nina was in her kitchen, fixing a plate of lasagna. The baby was demanding that she eat something immediately. So here she was. "You can cool it with the kicking now," she said with a light laugh. "Nourishment is on the way." Just as she was about to sit the plate on the small table, she heard several sharp knocks on the door. '_That's_ _probably Mrs. Armstrong_.' Mrs. Armstrong was a sixty-something lady who lived two doors down from her and she frequently dropped by to see if Nina needed anything. 

Nina sat the plate down and exited the kitchen. Actually, if it was Mrs. Armstrong, she was grateful. Because if the sweet old lady was going to drop by the store or anything, she could pick up some milk for Nina. She unlocked and opened her door, prepared to say hello to her neighbor... only it wasn't her neighbor. Unless, of course, her neighbor had transformed into Tommy Oliver. Nina's eyes widened and her heart began slowing to a stop. Tommy. Tommy.

"Oh... oh, my God," she whispered, freezing shock filling her. She just stared at the man she'd abandoned six months earlier. What was he doing here? "How- what- oh, my God."

He slowly swept his gaze over her and smiled coldly. "Hi, Nina. Look at you. Man, you're glowing."

Then, it hit Nina like a ton of bricks. There was only one way Tommy could've known she was here. The cold shock was shoved out of the way by burning fury. Of course. Nina's eyes flashed. "I'm gonna kill her. I'm gonna kill her."

"No, you're not. This isn't anywhere near being your sister's fault. There's only one person to blame in this situation," he said. His voice was deadly calm, but, his eyes were... wow. Nina shivered a little. "Now, are we gonna have this conversation in the doorway or what?"

She stared at him for several moments, then, slowly stepped aside to let him enter. She really could not believe Holly. She closed the door- afraid to turn around. Afraid to look at him. But she had to. He was here. The cat was out of the bag now. She took a deep, shaky breath, then, turned to see him standing in the center of the floor, looking around the living room.

"Nice place," he said flatly.

"Tommy-" she began.

"No. No. See, you're the _listener_ here, Nina. I think I've more than earned the right to do all the talking," he said, anger seeping into his voice. Holly's words rang in his head and his fury intensified. He could barely stand to look at Nina. But he had to do this. She had to know.

Nina sighed. "I know, Tommy and I'm sorry- I really am."

He laughed bitterly. "I'm already sick of hearing you say that."

"I just want you to underst-" she began.

"Are you _insane_?" he exploded before he could stop himself. "Understand? _Understand_!? There's nothing you can tell me that would make me understand this! Nothing! You were gonna let me go through life_ never_ knowing I had a son! A son! You were gonna rob me! First, you humiliate me and rip my heart out, then, you decide to keep my own child a secret from me! And you want me to understand? Nobody in their right mind could understand something like you!"

Tears stung her eyes. "Tommy, I really did have my reasons-"

"Bull! And you can save the tears for somebody who gives a crap!" he yelled angrily. "No reason for this! None at all! You were gonna willingly allow my kid to grow up without me!"

"I couldn't face you or talk to you after what happened between us-" she was saying.

"You mean after what _you_ caused to happen with us," he snapped. You did that, Nina. You left. But, you know what? I should thank you. I really should. Leaving me at that altar was probably the best thing you could've done for me. Because you saved me from making the biggest mistake of my life."

The words were like several slaps in the face. "Tommy, I'm-"

"And you actually expected your sister to go along with it! Sick! You couldn't face or talk to me? You chose cowardice over your own kid! You ignored what you knew was best for him- on _purpose_! What the hell _are_ you?" Tommy yelled incredulously.

"Tommy, please don't-" she began in a pleading tone.

"That kid deserves a helluva lot better than you. That's for sure," he said harshly. He turned his back to her, closed his eyes and took a few slow, deep breaths. As pissed as he was, he had to try and calm down- at least somewhat. He didn't want to risk an early labor or anything. But, just looking at her made him so... .

Nina shook her head slowly. "Tommy, I know it was cowardly, but, if you'd been in my shoes-"

His eyes flew open and he spun around to face her. The look of utter disgust on his face made her cringe. "If I'd have been in your shoes, I'd have done the normal thing and spoken up. We're talking about a child here, Nina."

"I know," she said weakly. "But-"

"I'm not gonna yell again- I'll try not to. Stress isn't good for my son. I'll back off- for now. But you should know this, though," he said- his voice like steel. "After he's born... he's gonna be raised in Reefside."

* * *


	9. Chapter 9

Decided to put another installment out there. I know it's kinda quick, but... I don't think anybody's gonna complain about that. LOL.

Thanks, as always.

On with the show...

* * *

Tommy's words caused the tears in his ex-fiancee's eyes to vanish almost immediately. Her guilt was roughly shoved aside by astonishment. "What? What did you just say?" She spoke slowly and the surprise was evident in her expression. 

"You're not deaf," he snapped.

"I must be. There's no way you just said this baby will be living in Reefside," she said.

"You're right. Those weren't my _exact_ words, but, that's what's gonna happen," he said.

The astonishment was replaced by anger and her eyes blazed. "Remember calling _me_ insane? Time to redirect that. Tommy, you're not taking my baby away from me."

He shook his head. He shouldn't be here. This wasn't supposed to be happening. He should've known about his own flesh and blood the second she'd discovered she was pregnant. But, it hadn't worked out that way at all and he would never forget it. He'd been betrayed by this woman- twice. Fresh anger began boiling within him.

"I know you're angry and you're right to be, but, I'm not gonna let you-" she began.

"The thing is," he cut in sharply. "I wouldn't have to do any "taking" if you'd have done the right thing in the first place. You think this is gonna be easy for me? I'm not like you, Nina. I've had a conscience pretty much my whole life."

"You're talking as though it's really gonna happen. A child needs its mother," she said, glaring at him.

"Children also need a person that'll actually give a damn about what's best for them. You don't fit that description," he said, no expression in his voice.

She laughed and shook her head. "Okay. Okay, Tommy. Let's just say- for argument's sake- I _do_ let you take this baby. Who's gonna be the mother figure for it? Your mother? Those friends of yours? I don't see that happening considering the fact that they have their own lives. What the hell makes you think that they'll be so completely willing to care for your child? They won't have time for him or you."

"Apparently, you don't know a damn thing about any of my friends," he said dully. It'd be so easy to lay into her once again. Maybe even smash or throw things. But, he wouldn't. Not while his son depended on her for survival. Maybe nothing too drastic would really happen, but, he just really didn't want to chance anything at this point.

"_You_ don't if you think they'll really be able to help you. It doesn't matter how good their intentions are. You'll have to handle things on your own- for the most part," she said.

He looked at her as though she seriously had to be the most pathetic woman on the face of the earth. "Nina, just what the hell were you planning to do after he was born? Huh? You're all alone in a state you've only lived in for six months. And look at this apartment. It's barely big enough for _you_. Another thing... do you have any idea how hard it is to raise a _son_ without a father? Or even a father figure? Did you_ really_ think all of this out?"

She paled and he couldn't help smirking. He was satisfied to see that he'd struck a nerve. He honestly wanted to know what she thought she'd be accomplishing with her little plan. She turned her back to him, at a loss for words. Tommy stared hard at the back of her head. He wasn't about to stop now.

"I don't get you. I really don't. I'm not a jerk that would've turned my back on my own child and you know that. That's what floors me! You know I'd _never _do that. But, you kept quiet anyway. Who does that?" he said, throwing his hands up. "You didn't tell me because you couldn't talk to me. That's so freaking lame!"

She spun around- sort of- to face him, her eyes flashing. "I get it, all right? I'm not perfect! I've been told that more than enough, so I don't need to hear it from you."

"Man. You really are messed up. Perfection's got nothing to do with telling a guy he's gonna be a father," he said.

"What do you want from me?" she snapped.

"I just want my son to grow up in a stable environment," he said.

"I can give him stability," she said hotly.

"You've already proved you have no idea what the word means. He's gonna be raised in Reefside," he said solemnly.

"Not gonna happen," she said harshly.

"If it's really a fight you want, you'll get it. Doesn't matter to me. I've battled worse- believe me," he said.

* * *

'_Let's see now_. _What's next on the list_?' Katherine thought as she pushed a cart through the supermarket. She'd volunteered to do a little grocery shopping for her mother. '_Okay_. _I only have to get a few more things, then, I can go. Good_.' The blonde headed straight for the frozen food section. Her thoughts casually turned to her new job and a smile lit her face. She honestly felt like doing a little song and dance. She was more than grateful to Adam and Jason. 

Her smile suddenly became a concerned frown as Tommy entered her brain. She wondered how it was going with Nina. '_I can't believe she was gonna purposely hurt him like that_. _Tommy's gotta wonder what ever made him fall for her in the first place_,' she thought. Yeah. Tommy wasn't just furious. He was really hurt- and that was what really bothered Katherine. She hated to see him in pain.

A short while later, Katherine was outside in the parking lot, placing the groceries in her father's trunk. '_I think I'll stop by the coffeehouse and get a latte_,' she thought as she placed the last two bags inside of the trunk. Then, afterwards, maybe she'd call Jason or Adam and thank them all over again. She laughed at that and closed up the trunk. After returning the cart, she headed back to the car, unlocked and opened the door.

"Kat! Wow! This is _amazing_!"

Confusion filled her. Huh? She looked up and almost dropped the keys. "_Mike_?"

* * *


	10. Chapter 10

Chose to release the next chapter upon the universe...

To:** Destiny45, moonlite-n-roses, Chylea, zeopurple, Lone Nightblade, Phantom Rogue, The Sushi** **Monster and blue-ranger-sky**... a gigantic thank you for reviewing the last chapter.

* * *

Katherine stared at her ex-boyfriend with stunned, blue eyes. She began wondering if she was hallucinating. Mike couldn't really be here in front of her. He was grinning widely- as though he'd won a cash prize or something. He walked up to her and just stared at her, his grin slowly fading. He shook his head, then, reached up to rub a lock of her hair between his thumb and index finger. 

"You're more beautiful than ever," he said, his voice low.

"What are you doing here?" Only it seemed as though someone else were saying the words. About a million different emotions were now having an intense war inside of her.

"I needed to see you. I figured you'd come back to America. Anyway, I got here a few days ago," he said. Then, he laughed. "I was all set to do this big search, but- fortunately- here you are. Fate or what, right?"

She stared into his green eyes and memories she'd had a very difficult time trying not to relive began flooding her mind. Memories of when they'd first met... when they'd fallen in love... . There was no denying that they'd had a lot of incredible times together. She smiled as she remembered the man she'd loved with all she'd had in her... the man whom'd hurt her in a way no one else ever had. Her eyes darkened as the memories of their horrible, heart-wrenching breakup overrode the happy memories.

"Kat, I'm so glad to see-" he began.

"So, are you two married now?" Katherine cut in bitterly, unable to help herself. He needed to see her? He was gonna try and find her? Who the hell did he think he was? Anger began rising in her at a rapid speed. She didn't want him here. She didn't want him in the same city or state as her. She really wanted him out of her sight and fast.

He blinked, obviously taken aback and confused by the statement. He frowned. "Excuse me?"

And suddenly he had no idea who she was talking about. Please. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Don't do that, Mike. Anything but the dumb act. It insults my intelligence. Spare me."

"Kat, I really_ don't_ know what you're talking about," he said. "Who would I be marr... oh." Realization hit him quickly. Of course. "You mean Rochelle."

Hearing her name only ignited Katherine's anger. The woman he'd broken her heart for. The woman'd he'd fallen so crazy in love with.

He sighed deeply and began looking genuinely embarrassed. "I broke up with her almost a week ago. She, um, didn't take it very well."

"Really? How dare she?" Katherine said, her voice dripping with bitterness and sarcasm.

"I deserved that," he said, his tone laced with guilt.

"We're not gonna get into what you deserve," she said hotly.

"Kat, I- don't you even wanna know_ why_ I broke up with her?" he asked.

"I don't wanna know anything about your life anymore," she said.

"Well, I'm gonna tell you anyway. Because you need to know. It wasn't working as well as I was telling myself it was. I had to let her go 'cause I... I still wanted you. More than I realized. It was you I loved all along and I am so, so sorry it had to take all of this in order for me to-" he was saying.

"That's enough," she snapped. His eyebrows rose. "If you're really expecting me to fall into your arms simply because you're suddenly free again, you're insane."

"I just told you that I'm still in love with you. I really am. You're the one I want. Kat, you can't say that we weren't good together- better than good! I want us to start over," he said.

She really couldn't believe any of this. If she wasn't so annoyed and furious right now, she'd have thought this was funny. He wanted them to start over. Just like that. "I don't think so," she said.

"Don't, Kat. Please don't. Just, just remember how we were together," he said pleadingly.

"I remember," she said, her voice softer now. "But you didn't just sow a wild oat, Mike. You threw away everything we had- all our years together- for a woman you thought you were in love with. _Love_. She meant enough to break up with me. And, now, you're here. Saying you want me back."

"I know I-" he began.

"You have no idea what I went through after our relationship ended. It was hell for me and I really thought I'd never get over it. You... hurt me so much, Mike," she said, her voice faltering a little- much to her annoyance.

"I know, Kat. I know I did. If I could turn back time, I would in a heartbeat. But, I know I can't. I'm just gonna have to live with what I did. But it's been a year, Kat. You've had time to heal. Can't you, can't you forgive me? Please?" he asked. He looked as though his life depended on whatever came out of her mouth.

"I have forgiven you. And I still love you," she said honestly. His eyes lit up. "But I can't go back because, like you just said, it's been a year. Mike, I'm not _in_ love with you. Not anymore." She steeled herself against the pain in his eyes. She meant what she said.

"Kat, feelings can change. Just give me a chance to-" he was saying.

"I can't. I'm sorry," she said seriously. After all she'd gone through to shake him from her system... . Anyway, she no longer wanted to go back to that place. Hearts had wills of their own. It was over. She looked down at the keys she was holding, then, back up at him. "I have to go now. Goodbye, Mike." Then, she got into her car and closed the door before the stunned man could say another word.

* * *

'_Man_._ I really can't believe any of this crap is happening_,' Tommy thought some time later as he stepped into the hotel room he'd be staying in until Sunday. He'd left Nina's with even more anger than he'd come there with. After his comment about fighting her, she'd said nothing. She'd simply left the room and Tommy decided he'd better just get the hell out of there for the time being. 

'_Has she always been this selfish_?' he thought as plopped down on to the bed. His cell phone- which was sitting on the bedside table- caught his eye and grabbed it to check for any missed calls. There were three. He began checking them. One from his mother or father, Hayley and Jason or Kimberly. He'd informed his parents and Hayley of his unborn son the same day he'd informed his former teammates.

'_They_ _probably just wanna know how I'm doing. I'll call them later_,' he thought as he dialed another phone number. There was somebody else wanted to talk to right now.

"Hello?" came Katherine's voice after three rings.

"Hey, Kat. It's me," he said.

"Tommy! Hey. This is, well, a stupid question, but, how are you?" she asked.

"Even more pissed than I was before," he said with a laugh. Then, he sighed. "I just left her place. When I saw her... oh, man. Just looking at her, carrying my child... it was just... I could hardly stand it, Kat. To make a long story short, I told her that I'm taking the baby."

"I'm guessing she didn't jump for joy after that," Katherine said.

"She tried to talk me out of it. I'm sure I can expect a fight," he said.

"A normal person would wanna share custody," she said.

"Yeah. Too bad Nina's nowhere near that category. I'm more than willing to share custody, but, if she's gonna be this way... forget it. No way is that woman raising my son on her own," he said, a fierceness in his tone.

"I'm just really sorry about all of this," Katherine said.

"Same here. But all I can do is wait til he's born to actually do anything," Tommy said. "So, what are you up to? Did you do any job-hunting today?"

"Yeah, and I didn't find anything," she said pleasantly.

He lifted his eyebrows at her tone. She sounded awfully happy about having bad luck with a job search. Had somebody put something in her food? Before he could ask if she was running a fever or something, she spoke up again.

"Jason and Adam's aerobics instructor quit and they offered me the job," she told him.

A grin lit his face instantly. "Hey, that's fantastic. I'm really happy for you, Kat." It was nice to hear some good news right now.

"Thanks. I have to say that they are my favorite people right now," she said.

"Hey! What about Technicolor Guy?" he said with mock anger.

"Ehh, he's okay," she said in a bored tone.

"Hilarious. Forget the dojo. Why don't you see if they're looking for any new talent at a comedy club?" he said with a smirk.

"That's a good idea. I'm gonna write down some material right now. They're all gonna be embarrassing stories about you," she said, the amusement clear in her voice. They both laughed, then, she sighed.

"Something wrong?" he asked in concern.

"Mike's in town," she said quietly.

His eyes widened. "You're kidding, right?" Whoa!

"Oh, how I wish," she said. "I saw him at the store and he told me he got into town a few days ago. He also said that he broke up with... the other woman and that he wants me back."

"What did you tell him?" Tommy asked. Mike in California. Where the hell did that guy get off?

"That there was no going back, basically. I meant it," she said. "We're over."

"I think it's for the best. Especially after the way he hurt you," he said. '_I_ _can't believe that guy! I_ _don't even know him and I hate him. He left her, claiming he was in love with somebody else. Now, he's here and actually had the nerve to say he wants her back. What did he think- that she was just_ _waiting around for him to say that? She's a helluva a lot better off_.'

"Well, there's another thing. While I'll probably never really get over the way it felt to be betrayed like that, I did get over_ him_ and I told him so," she said.

"Do you think he's gonna accept that?" he asked. He really couldn't wait to return home- now that he knew this. He just didn't even like the _idea_ of this Mike guy. If he'd basically followed Katherine from London... something was off. Had to be. Tommy really, really didn't like this at all.

"He's gonna have to," she said.

* * *


	11. Chapter 11

And I'm back!

BTW, if anyone seems OOC- even a little bit- every now and again, it means I'm simply just trying to make their reactions as appropriate and realistic as possible for any not-so-good situations they may be in. But I'll try not to make anyone extremely OOC, though. LOL.

Thanks, as always.

* * *

Tommy said goodbye to Katherine, then, stared at his cell phone for a full minute. Mike. Mike was in the states. Unbelievable. The feeling in Tommy's gut was rapidly strengthening. As was his concern for Katherine. He shook his head, then, scrolled down to a number in his phone book, pressed a button and put the phone to his ear. 

"Hey, bro," came Jason's voice after a few rings. "How're ya doing?"

"I wish I could say peachy, but... Jase, I can't even tell you how it felt to see her and... well, we had it out and I told her that I'm taking the baby. I don't want this. I want my son's mother to be part of his life. But she's- well, if you'd been here, you'd definitely get why I feel I have to take the baby," Tommy said.

"Yeah. I hear ya, man. But, maybe she'll actually come around and you guys can talk joint custody," Jason said.

"I hope so- for my son's sake. I'm just gonna have to wait, unfortunately. By the way, I just talked to Kat and she told me about the job. That was really great of you and Adam, bro," Tommy said seriously.

"Hey, Kat needed it and she's a friend. We just wanna look out for her," Jason said.

"About that... Jase, Kat told me that her ex, Mike, is in California," Tommy said.

"Whoa. What is he doing here?" Jason asked.

"She saw him at the store earlier and he told her that he got in a few days ago. He broke up with that other woman and wants Kat back," Tommy said.

"What'd Kat tell him? Hopefully, the words "get lost" were in it," Jason said.

Tommy laughed. "In a way. She told him that it won't be happening 'cause she's moved on."

"Go, Kat," Jason said.

"Yeah. But, something doesn't feel right, man. I mean, think about it. He followed her to America- hoping to get her back. I just don't... could you just keep an eye on her?" Tommy asked.

"You didn't even have to ask, bro," Jason said.

* * *

"Nina, will you calm down?" 

"No!" Nina yelled angrily. "Don't tell me what to do. Don't tell me anything! But, oh, that's right. It would be impossible- since you seem to have so much trouble keeping your mouth shut!" She was standing in the center of her bedroom, trembling with fury. She'd been on the phone with her sister for the last five minutes- arguing. She honestly couldn't remember the last time she'd ever been so mad at Holly.

A familiar sigh came over the line. Nina tensed. She hated that sigh. That was her family's famous "Nina's just being Nina" sigh. But, she was really pissed. "I can't believe you went behind my back, Holly! I asked you to stay out of it!"

"Deep down, you know I did the right thing. I was thinking of my nephew's best interests," Holly said in that calm, reasonable tone that'd always driven Nina crazy.

"Again, he's _my son_! Mine! You had no right to do what you did. It was none of your business! You've ruined everything!" Nina screeched.

"Getting all nuts on me isn't helping anybody," Holly said lightly.

"Don't talk to me like you're some kinda shrink!" Nina yelled. "You're my sister and you betrayed me! You really let me down and you expect me to all cheerful and joyous? Are you crazy?"

"I only did what you should've done. You made a mess and I cleaned it. That's our thing, remember?" Holly said, a slight edge in her voice.

Nina gripped the phone as tightly as she possibly could. Like she really needed to hear about what a screw-up she'd always been. "Don't even go there. That's got nothing to do with any of this. You were dead wrong- plain and simple."

"_You _were. You were. Nina, you hurt Tommy in a big way- twice. And him finding out about his son twenty years from now would've been strike three. Why can't you _get_ any of this?" Holly said incredulously.

"All I get is that you stabbed me in the back," Nina snapped. "This changes _everything_. You've really made a huge mistake and both you and Tommy have pissed me off- big time. No way is he taking this baby to Reefside. No way. My son's gonna be raised wherever I choose to raise him. I'm his mother and until he's legally able to make his own decisions, I'm doing it for him. That's that."

"You are so... I don't even know what to say to you right now," Holly said.

"Good. 'Cause this conversation's over and I don't care if I ever see or talk to you again. As far as I'm concerned, you're no longer family," Nina said, then, hung up and tossed the phone onto the bed. She stood staring at it for a few moments, then, she sat down on the edge of the bed and closed her eyes.

'_My baby's not going anywhere with you, Tommy. In fact... you'll never get to lay eyes on him_,' she thought.

* * *

"Thanks for letting me stay with you for a little bit, man," Mike said to his old friend- Stan Rhodes. "I'm glad you moved here to Stone Canyon. It makes things a lot easier." He'd looked up Stan- on a whim. 

Stan shrugged casually as Mike opened a can of beer. He had no idea what Mike was talking about. "Yeah. Needed a change of scenery. You know how it is. So, you ready to tell me what it is you so desperately need my help with?"

Mike took a swig of beer, then, sat the can down on the table. "It's my ex-girlfriend. I told you about her. We were together in London. Katherine."

"I remember. What about her?" Stan asked.

"Well, she's moved back to Angel Grove. I found out and I'm here to get her back. I saw her and we talked, but... well, she turned me down, man," Mike said tightly.

Stan let out a low whistle. "Sorry, man."

"Don't be- 'cause we're getting back together. Eventually," Mike said.

"What do I have to do with any of this, Mike?" Stan asked with a laugh. "What do you want me to do- talk her into liking ya again? I'll be sure to do that during lunch period."

"Hilarious," Mike said dryly.

"All right. Seriously. What do you need from me?" Stan asked.

"Well, I just wanna keep tabs on her. But I can't do it. She has to think that I've backed off. I wanna know everything. Where she goes, what she does, who she sees... even the color of her shoes," Mike said, then reached back and retrieved his wallet from his pocket.

"You're gonna pay me to stalk your ex?" Stan said, half-joking.

Mike scoffed. "Not in this lifetime. You owe me. Remember that big favor I did for you ten years ago? I'm just gonna give you her picture- in case you've forgotten what she looks like." Stan had last seen a picture of Katherine a few years back.

Stan nodded after studying the picture of the smiling blonde. "She's a hottie."

Mike's gut clenched and he narrowed his eyes. "Leave her alone."

"What are you talking about?" Stan asked.

"We've been tight since third grade, man. I know you. Leave her alone," Mike warned.

"Come on, Mike-" Stan began.

"I'm serious. This isn't just some random chick. I love this woman and she's it for me. I know it," Mike said solemnly. " This is just step one in my plan. So, you gonna help me out or what?"

"Sure," Stan said without the slightest hesitation. "After all, Angel Grove's not that big a place, so, it'll be cake."

"Sweet," Mike said smoothly before grabbing his beer.

* * *


	12. Chapter 12

And here's another update.

Glad everyone enjoyed the last chapter.

On with the lil show... .

* * *

When Tommy awoke the next day- Saturday morning- the legendary ranger sat up in bed quickly and scanned the unfamiliar room with a confused frown. Where was he? Then, realization quickly cleared his foggy mind. Hotel. In Seattle. Right. He yawned and stretched, rubbed at his eyes, then, swung his long legs out of bed a couple moments later. The paleontologist stood, stretched once more and headed for his bathroom. 

Sometime later, he was dressed and ready to head out. He'd had breakfast and now it was time to go back to Nina's. Pick up where they left off. Nina. He'd lain awake in bed for a few hours last night thinking of how happy they'd been together then. But, it'd all been a lie. She was never the woman he'd hoped she was.

'_Well_, _I guess I better roll_,' he thought.

* * *

A short while later, Nina opened her door and smiled at the sight of her ex-fiance standing there. He, of course, just looked at her with cold eyes. But, she continued to smile. "Hi, Tommy. You look nice." 

"Don't do that, Nina. I'm not here for fake pleasantries. So, just don't even start," he said, his voice hard and serious.

"I'm sorry. Why don't you come on in?" she said, stepping aside. He looked at her for several moments, then, entered the apartment. After closing and locking the door, she turned to him. "Feel free to have a seat. Wanna cup of coffee or anything?"

"No," he said, taking a seat on the sofa. He didn't know what she was trying to pull with this little act, but, he really didn't care. He just cared about his son's well-being.

She walked over and took a seat on the sofa as well. "I'm glad you're here, Tommy. I hate how things went down yesterday. After you left, the guilt set in. You really do have all the rights in the world to be pissed. I mean, I didn't tell you that you were gonna be a father and there really are no excuses for that. I _am_ sorry for it. You may not believe it right now- I don't blame you- but, it's true."

He looked into her eyes. "Nina... I don't know what you're up to here. But I'm not-"

"Tommy, it's real. This is all real. I meant what I just said. Anyway, I was thinking of how childish I was. You're right. He needs stability. He needs you. That's why I want us to share custody," she said, nodding.

"Uh-huh," he said slowly.

"Yeah. That's what we should do. No one parent trying to go it alone. He's _ours_, Tommy. We should both take care of him. Love him. He needs us both," she said.

"Sharing custody's the right idea. But I can't tell if you're being sincere because I don't know you. You're not who I thought you were, Nina," he said.

"I deserved that," she said quietly. "But, I know you're wrong, Tommy. I'm still me. I made a horrible mistake by hurting you like that on our wedding day, then, keeping my pregnancy a secret from you. I'll take those regrets to my grave, but, I _am_ still the woman you... well, I haven't changed. I really haven't."

"It'd be really easy to believe that," he said, his voice quiet now. But, he wasn't sure _what_ to think. Yesterday had been crazy and now... well, what had caused _this_ turnaround- and was it really genuine? Had she really realized how wrong she was for everything or was it just some kind of stunt? Setup? But, then... what if it really wasn't?

Nina half-smiled and nodded. "I don't blame you being a little cautious here. If I were in your shoes... man. I don't know how I'd react. I know "I'm so sorry" are just words. But they're words I mean. And, like I said, I hope you believe that someday."

He sighed. "Nina, we both know why I can't forgive right this second, but, eventually, I will. I mean, I'd choose finding out about son a month or two before he's born over finding out about him right before he goes to college any day of the week."

She nodded again, then, her eyes lit up. "He's kicking," she said, then, grabbed Tommy's hand and placed it on her belly.

A smile instantly appeared on Tommy's face. The little boy was kicking furiously. "He's really going wild in there."

"Yeah," she agreed with a laugh. Then, both she and Tommy looked down at his hand and he removed it. She cleared her throat. "You know, it's almost time for Mrs. Armstrong- my neighbor- to began running her errands and I usually go with her. Can we get together for dinner tonight- to talk more?"

He nodded. "Yeah, sure. We could do that."

"Great. Can you be here around six-thirty or seven?" she asked, grabbing her phone off the table and standing.

He stood as well. "You got it," he replied as they headed for the door.

"Okay. Before I go, I'm gonna call my sister and apologize to her. We had sort of a showdown last night on the phone. It was about- well, you know already. But, I know she was just doing what was best. What I should've done. Anyway, I was awful to her and I feel like crap right now," Nina said.

"Holly really cares about you, Nina," he said as he unlocked and opened the door.

"I know she does. The only real problem is that I'm nowhere near as appreciative of her as I should be. But, I'm gonna work on that- I am. I'll see you later, Tommy," she said with a soft smile.

* * *

"So, you really are okay?" Tanya asked that afternoon. 

"I really am," Katherine assured her pregnant best friend.

The two women were sitting in a cafe in Stone Canyon, having lunch- Tanya and Adam's son- Aidan- was spending the day with Tanya's parents. Adam was at Rocky and Aisha's. Anyhow, Tanya and Katherine had been hanging out since morning. The two of them were currently on the subject of Mike.

"I definitely wasn't expecting to see him and when I did... well, it all came rushing back, Tanya- the good and the bad. The joy, the pain. All of it. It's just... . It really is over. I amost felt sorry for him when I told him so. But I can't help the way I feel. I've moved on," Katherine said.

"Even if you did want him back, it still wouldn't be any easier to_ take_ him back. I mean, he thought he was _in love_ with somebody else," Tanya said, shaking her head.

"That's what I told him. Rochelle meant enough to him to drop me. He obviously had some kinda connection with her. Who could just ignore something that?" Katherine said. Then, a new thought popped into her head and she sighed and dropped her fork- causing a clatter.

"What's up?" Tanya asked.

"It's the Nina/Tommy thing. Everytime I think of what she pulled, I... that type of selfishness should be illegal," Katherine said.

"Tell me about it, girl. I keep wondering what in the world was going on in her head when she decided to do it. And when she left Tommy at the altar- then, skipped town. She's really something. I don't see how anybody could make themselves okay with the idiotic choices they make," Tanya said.

"Neither do I . Poor Tommy. He really didn't deserve any of this. He's too good a person," Katherine said.

"Yeah," Tanya agreed. "Maybe he'll be able to talk some sense into her."

"Let's hope so," Katherine said, then, looked around. When her eyes landed on a sandy-haired guy sitting several tables away, reading some kind of magazine, she frowned.

"Are you all right?" Tanya asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. It's just- well, see that guy over there?" Katherine asked.

"Uh-huh. What about him?" Tanya asked.

"Well, I've seen him twice already since you and I have been out and about. And, now, here he is again," Katherine said.

"That's kinda trippy," Tanya said with a laugh. "But, hey, it's probably just some crazy coincidence."

* * *

'_Maybe she is for real_,' Tommy thought that evening as he stepped off the elevator in Nina's apartment building. He'd been going over a lot of things in his head since his morning visit with his ex-fiancee. She'd seemed sincere- almost like the woman he'd proposed to. He wanted to believe she was for real. It was just more than a little hard to believe in her- for obvious reasons. Even if she truly wasn't fooling around here, it'd still be awhile before he fully trusted her again. 

When he reached her apartment, he took a deep breath and knocked on the door. Several moments later, he knocked again. Still no response. He knocked again- as sharply as possible. Where was she? Bathroom? Asleep? Was she even in the apartment? But, then, why would she leave after arranging the whole dinner/talk thing? It made no sense. He frowned and began pounding on the door. "Nina! Are you in there?"

"No, young man, I'm afraid she's not."

Tommy looked to his left to see an elderly woman standing there. "Would you happen to know where she is? I'm an old friend- visiting- and we were supposed to have dinner." He didn't feel it was necessary to get into the whole truth right now. Besides, he didn't even know this woman.

"Oh, dear. Are you certain? Because I don't think you'll be having dinner with Nina anytime soon," the woman said.

Tommy's stomach muscles tightened. "What makes you say that?"

"I can't imagine why she didn't tell you about her plans. Something must be terribly wrong. You see, one of the neighbors was helping her move her things out of her apartment earlier. He told me that she was planning to leave Seattle and never come back," the woman said.

* * *


	13. Chapter 13

And I decided to try and crank out another update.

Lovin' the support and patience. Keep it up, peeps.

On with show...

* * *

Katherine was standing in her parents' kitchen that evening, fixing herself a salad and thinking of the job she started in a couple days, when the telephone began ringing. Since her parents had gone out to dinner, she knew it was on her to answer the call. The blonde turned and headed up to the phone on the counter. She glanced at the caller ID, then, picked up the cordless. 

"Tommy. Hi," she said.

"Kat, I-I didn't- I was- I thought- she- I can't even-why is this-" he was sputtering.

Concern and confusion slammed into her. "Tommy, what is it? Are you okay? Is Nina okay? Did something happen with the baby?"

He took a couple slow, deep breaths. "I'm sorry. I hope I'm not interrupting anything. I just... I need to talk to someone and you're the first person that came to mind."

"Don't ever apologize for needing me to listen," she said softly. "Now, tell me what the problem is so I can try and help you as best I can."

"She's gone, Kat. She's gone," he said in a grim voice.

Katherine frowned. "Nina? Where'd she go and why?"

"Where? I wish I knew. Why? She's a selfish, lying lunatic," he said dejectedly.

"What happened?" Katherine asked gently.

"This morning, I came over and she was... being all nice and understanding. All guilty and apologetic. She seemed like the woman I used to know. Anyway, she suggested we get together for dinner to talk more about our situation. But when I got here, a neighbor of hers told me she'd left Seattle and said she never plans to come back," he said.

Katherine was speechless. Stunned. Nina just did not quit! This was absolutely outrageous. '_And_ _she could be heading anywhere. How can she be so cruel and thoughtless? What the hell is wrong with her? Besides being a complete witch, that is_,' she thought, anger filling her. This was simply unreal.

"I can't believe I fell for this," Tommy said- the distress in his voice snapping his ex-girlfriend out of her furious thoughts.

"Tommy, don't you dare blame yourself for this," she said firmly. "You had every right to want to believe that she still had a shred of decency in her. This is all her. She needs help."

"I'm gonna find her. I'm gonna do whatever it takes to find her. Go wherever I have to. Kat, I cannot let that woman raise my son. I was all set to talk joint custody, but, that's all over now," he said, his voice filled with anger now.

"Tommy, I am so sorry," Katherine said, her heart going out to him.

"No, Nina is. She's the sorriest excuse for a person I've ever seen," he said.

* * *

"Whatcha got for me?" Mike asked the second Stan slid into the chair across from him. The two men were sitting in a smoky bar in Stone Canyon. 

"Can't a guy get a beer first?" Stan said, signaling the waitress. She came over, he relayed his order and she hurried off. He sat back and looked at his impatient friend. "Nothing interesting, man."

"Just tell me anyway. I told you I wanna know it all," Mike said.

Stan shrugged. "There's nothing to tell. All she did today was hang out with that best friend of hers you told me about. Then, she went to see more friends. This petite chick and a guy who'd be great as the Incredible Hulk- I got a look at them when they walked Kat to her car." The waitress returned with the beverage and headed off.

Mike nodded. "What else?"

"After that, she went back home. End of story. Told ya there was nothing to tell," Stan said before downing some of his beer. "What are you even hoping to hear, man?"

"I just wanna know what she's up to," Mike said calmly.

"Man. You're really into this babe, aren't ya? I mean, you're seriously jonesing big time," Stan said with a laugh. "I gotta tell ya, as hot as she is, maybe you should just leave well enough alone and start looking for another girl or something. I mean, Kat _did_ say it was done between you guys. Why push it?"

Annoyance filled Mike. Stan was a decent guy and friend, but, he also had always been something of a player. What the hell did he know about really being in love? "I told you why, Stan. I love her."

"Whatever. Seems like a huge waste of time and energy to me," Stan said breezily.

"I expect it to- considering you have no idea what it's like to love a person like this," Mike said.

"Riiiiight. Ya know, Mike, what you call love, other earthlings call obsessed. Or pathetic," Stan said, smirking.

"Probably. But, when have you ever known me to give a damn about other people's opinions?" Mike said, lifting his eyebrows. "Now, are you _sure_ you were plainly outta sight? Or did Kat seem even a little uneasy or paranoid or anything like that?"

"Relax, dude. She may've glanced my way a couple times, but, it's nothing to get all whacked out about. But, hey, letting this whole thing go isn't such a bad idea," Stan said... shifting in his seat a little.

Mike's eyes narrowed. "You said you'd help. Don't tell me you're wimping out."

"Look, like you said, I owe you. You've helped me out plenty of times. But, this is a completely different situation. If it all blows up in your face- and I'm thinking it will- I ain't taking the heat for _anything_. Believe that," Stan said, his tone deadly serious.

* * *

Nina sat on the bed in her hotel room that night, staring blankly at the wall. She wasn't entirely sure why she'd come here to Spokane. But, then, she wasn't entirely sure about much of anything anymore. Well, except for her fierce anger towards her sister for shooting off her big mouth to Tommy. Nina looked down at her belly. 

"If your aunt had just stayed outta everything, Mommy wouldn't have had to leave," she told the unborn child in a soft voice. The little boy began kicking furiously in response. "Is that your way of telling me you're not too happy with my choice-making ability?" She sighed. "Neither am I, honey. Not always. But, this had to be done."

She had no idea where she would go next. What she would do next. She just wanted to go off somewhere- maybe a small town- and have her baby in peace. Then, just go from there. But she wasn't stupid enough to think it would be that easy. Tommy was probably scouring the state right about now... .

'_What if he finds me before I can leave_? _For all I know, he could be on his way right now_. _He could even already be here_!' she thought, her eyes widening. She took a deep breath. All right. She was starting to go overboard here. She closed her eyes and ignored the small but sharp pang of guilt she felt.

'_Well_, _Tommy left me no other choice_. _Sure, he had every right to be angry, but, he said some_ _really, really awful things to me and I'll never forget them_,' she thought, trying to hold onto that anger she'd felt the day before. '_I mean, honestly_. _Who the hell talks that way to the mother_ _of their child? He didn't even try to understand where I was coming from_.'

On the other hand... maybe running was the wrong idea- especially since she had no idea where she was running to. She opened her eyes as the guilt became sharper. The anxiety began growing. She was really mad at herself for all these stupid mixed feelings she was having. The baby started kicking again. '_I can give this child what's best for him- on my own. I can do this_,' she thought, trying to convince herself that she was completely convinced.

She looked over at the bedside table and slowly started reaching for her cell phone... .

* * *


	14. Chapter 14

Decided to crank out another chapter of this fic.

I'm** TRYING** to update my in-progress fics as much as possible.

As always, big, big thanks, y'all.

* * *

Tommy was pacing the floor of his hotel room. He'd come straight back here after leaving her apartment building- he planned to head right back out soon, though. Now, he could easily call the police, but, this was one problem wanted to try and deal with himself- first. Besides, Nina hadn't exactly been "missing" long enough anyhow. He stopped pacing and took a deep breath. If he'd had to pick a mother for a child of his, she would never have made the cut. 

Before he did anything else, though, he needed to talk to Jason. He walked over and picked his cell phone up off the bed. It rang before he could scroll down to the Scotts' number. Tommy sighed and answered without checking the ID. "Hello?"

"I'm coming back, Tommy," a female voice said.

Nina. It was Nina. Even Billy would've been unable to verbalize and explain the feelings running through Tommy right now. The former ranger leader just held the cell phone. It was sort of like when a person was just too upset to even cry. In his case, he was too furious to even yell. "Furious" was putting it mildly.

A sigh came over the line. "I came to Spokane and don't ask why because I wouldn't even know what to tell you. Anyway, I'm in my car right now. I'm coming back to Seattle. I was gonna call you from my room, but, I decided to just go on and call you in the car," she said. The phone reception was causing her voice to sort of break up a little. Tommy heard the sound of her or someone else's horn in the background. She sighed again. "Tommy, I was just so angry, you know? I just... act out and- I just feel like... I don't know."

Tommy continued to hold the phone and stand stock-still. Spokane. She hadn't even gone very far.

"I know you're sick of hearing this from me, but, I'm sorry. This is your baby, too. I was gonna keep going, but... I couldn't! Holly. She really makes me so mad sometimes! She was supposed to let me handle this in my own way," Nina said. Still no response. She sighed a third time. "Tommy, will you please_ say_ something? Anything!"

"You shouldn't get yourself too worked up," he said, the calmness of his voice surprising him. "You're a very pregnant woman behind the wheel of a moving car."

"Tommy, I know I've made one bad choice after another. I know. That's why I'm coming back. I just, I'm all mixed up! And Holly really shouldn't have-" she was saying.

"If you really are coming back here, you should come to my hotel. I'll be up," he said. It occurred to him that he'd never actually told her which one he was staying in, so, he did.

"I'll be there. I will. I _am_ coming back, Tommy. I can't keep trying to run away from everything and I understand that. I just need _you_ to understand. That's all. Holly really wasn't supposed to..." she was saying.

He tuned her out. He was nowhere near in the mood to hear her whine about her sister. He was nowhere near in the mood to hear her spew her usual "everyone but me is to blame" bull. Tommy was... tired. The woman was exhausting. He knew she was expecting him to blow up on her- maybe she even wanted him to- but, he wouldn't. It was _hard_, but, he planned to try and stay calm.

* * *

Katherine sat in her parents' den, channel-surfing. Her folks were still out. '_There's nothing good_ _on television- at all_. _That's really strange for a Saturday night_,' she thought, shaking her head. Maybe she should hop into her mother's car and head on over to the movie rental place. Just then, the doorbell rang and she stood- grateful for just about any sort of company. 

When she unlocked and opened the front door, a tall, sandy-haired guy stood before her- a solemn expression on his face. She frowned in confusion. Who was this? Then, it hit her a split second later. It was him. That guy she'd seen when she'd been out with Tanya earlier today. She stood up straight and glared at him.

"You! You_ have_ been following me. I knew something was off about you. What do you want from me?" she demanded. When he simply sighed, she began slowly raising her knee. Sure, he hadn't made a move towards her, but, why take any chances with this guy?

He saw her knee and his eyes widened. He quickly jumped back with a slightly nervous laugh. He held his hands up. "Whoa! Wow. It's not like that. You're right, Kat. I have been-"

"You know my name. Who are you?" she asked suspiciously.

"I'm Stan- Mike's friend. Could you please drop the leg?" he asked, laughing a little. "Please?"

Katherine did as he asked, but, continued to stare at him. Mike's friend? Mike's... oh. Right. Mike had told her about Stan. But why was he here? And how did he know where her parents lived? Anger began surging through the blonde woman. "Did Mike tell you to follow me? How _dare_ he?"

"That's why I'm here. He doesn't know anything about this. He _did_ tell me to, well, spy on you and, like an idiot, I agreed to it. I'm sorry about that, but, I kinda owe him. I mean, he's helped me out a lot, but- well, that's another story. Look, I was gonna just back outta this without a word, but, hey, just call it an attack of conscience or whatever. I had to tell you about him," Stan said.

Katherine shook her head slowly. She couldn't believe this. Mike had clearly gone over the edge. There was no other explanation. "I told him that there was no going back," she said, speaking more to herself than Stan.

"I tried to get him to drop this whole thing and just move on. But he won't. He keeps going on about how in love he is and how you're it for him. He doesn't wanna let go and see that he's kidding himself," Stan said, sighing.

"Well, he doesn't have a choice," Katherine said simply. "Because _I _have moved on. And the fact that he had me followed makes me happy I have. I want nothing to do with him."

"I can understand that," Stan said seriously. "But..."

"But?" Katherine prompted.

"Listen, Kat... I've known Mike for a very long time. There are things you... . Usually, when he wants something- really wants something- he'll go to pretty much any length to get it. So, you can't take any of this lightly, all right? Mike can be pretty unpredictable. You've gotta watch your back- big time," Stan said seriously.

* * *


	15. Chapter 15

And here's another update. Chose to push through the infamous blockage.

As always, the support is much appreciated and encouraging.

On we go, y'all...

* * *

"Thanks for the concern, Stan, but, I'm sure I'll be able to handle Mike just fine," Katherine told her ex's friend. 

Stan looked to his left, then, slowly shifted his gaze back to her. "Kat... he's not your average, everyday guy. He doesn't deal with rejection- of any kind- well. At all. He gets... majorly pissed and he lets his anger consume him, ya know? It can get past ugly. He turns into someone else. Friend or no, I'm not that stupid and I sure as hell ain't blind. Mike's got real issues. Real problems. And they've been there inside of him for a long time."

"Despite the fact that he had me followed, I still kinda have a hard time connecting the Mike you're describing to the Mike I... used to be in love with," she said.

"That's because he was happy, Kat. In love," he said.

"Until he decided he loved someone else," she said dryly.

"And realized he made a huge mistake. He never wanted anyone but you, so, he tried to get you back... and that's when the ugliness rose to surface. When you told him it was over and would stay over... he snapped," Stan said grimly.

"If he really has these emotional problems, why'd you or anyone else close to him never suggest therapy?" Katherine asked.

"Because he doesn't believe he has a problem," Stan said. "He also doesn't believe in therapy. He thinks it's all total bullshit and a way for people to get money out of weak-minded dimwits. It's a huge scam. His words."

"It just... sounds like you're talking about a completely different person," she said.

"I understand. I do. But, like I said, I _have_ known him for a long time," Stan said.

"You really believe he'd try to physically hurt me or something," she said. It was meant to be a question, but, it didn't quite come out that way.

"I'll say it once more... I've known him for a long time," Stan said quietly.

Katherine stared at him for a full minute, then, looked away as thought after thought began to roll into her brain. She believed Stan. She did- without a doubt. But, a part of her really wished she didn't. She didn't_ want_ to believe Mike had all these issues. But, she did. Besides, Stan was right- he had known Mike far longer than she had. It was just so... . '_Could my whole relationship with Mike_ _really've been just a fairytale_?' she wondered silently. As angry as she was with him, it still upset her to know that she'd never really known him. She looked back at Stan and gave him a sad smile.

"Thank you," she said sincerely. "You've given me a lot to think about."

* * *

"No, not that one," Kimberly said. 

Jason- whom was kneeling down by their entertainment center- put a finger to his temple and pretended to shoot himself. Kimberly's eyebrow arched in question and he shook his head. "Kim, you've turned down every movie I've picked. As fun as that is, I'm starting to get a headache here, Pinky!"

"I'm turning them down because you always wanna watch some action flick," Kimberly said as she tucked her legs underneath her.

"And that's just stupid because lame, drippy romances are obviously the way to go," Jason said dryly. He instinctively shielded himself with his arms when a pillow came flying towards his head. He gave her a look of mock sadness. "Abusive. You're two Kims. To the world, you're Ms. Sweet and Light. But, behind closed doors, you're Darth Kim."

"Do you want another pillow, honey?" she asked sweetly.

"I've gotta get you fitted for a stomach that can take the truth," he said, sighing and retrieving yet another DVD case.

"Not that one," Kimberly said.

She yelped and ducked when Jason hurled the pillow right back at her.

* * *

Tommy opened the door to his hotel room sometime later to find his pregnant ex there. Of course, she had the look of sheer guilt in place- not to mention nervousness. He sure wasn't about to make her feel at ease. He owed her nothing. The frustrated man just stood and stared blankly at her while she fidgeted and looked everywhere but at him. He slowly moved aside, but, she made no move to enter. 

"I, uh, I..." her voice trailed off and she nervously ran her hand through her hair. She swallowed hard. "I know you weren't expecting me to actually show up and nobody could blame you for that. I mean, you have no reason to believe a word that comes outta my mouth. You've got every right not to trust me. I've given-"

"Are you gonna come in?" he cut in abruptly. She flinched, then, sighed and walked into the room. He closed the door as she headed over to the middle of the room. She began looking around.

"This is a nice room," she said lamely. "This is probably one of the nicest hotels in Seattle. Nothing like the one I stayed in when I first came to Washington. It wasn't the worst, but, it was nowhere near the best, either. It wasn't rundown, but, it needed improvement. It was just... all it needed was a little work... ." They both knew that the mindless babble was a way to deal with uneasy, tense atmosphere.

"I think you should come back to Reefside," he said quietly. Why beat around the bush at this point?

"You do?" she said tightly.

"Yes, I do. At least until the baby is born. Afterwards... we'll just cross that bridge when we come to it," he said as he slowly approached her. She nodded.

"I guess that does make sense. I mean, if I'm near you, you won't have much to worry about," she said. "I'm not gonna fight you on this anymore. I was thinking a lot about our situation in the car and... fighting you and trying to fight you isn't gonna help anything in the end. It's only gonna hurt this baby and neither of us wants that."

"I just want a healthy, happy kid. For his sake, I'm gonna try my best to be civil towards you," Tommy said calmly.

Nina nodded. "We should present a united front. He shouldn't have to suffer because I screwed up everything. He's the only thing that matters." Tommy nodded and she looked into his eyes. "I think about our wedding day all the time." No reply. No reaction. She went on. "I never wanted to hurt you, Tommy. In spite of everything, you're still the sweetest guy I've ever known."

She shook her head. "I always thought guys like you only existed in storybooks. Handsome, strong, caring and so many other terrific qualities. At times, I really do wonder if I made a horrible mistake. We're supposed to be married right now... maybe, just maybe, there's actually a chance we can start over again."

Before he could even attempt any kind of response, she pulled his head towards hers and pressed her lips to his.

* * *


	16. Chapter 16

Here's an update. Now,** get off my back**, **YOU**. (You know who you are).

As always, thanks to all.

**It's late, so, excuse any errors that may appear, please.**

Onward we go... .

* * *

Tommy almost instantly jerked away and Nina's eyes widened. He took a step back, staring at her as though she'd just burned him. What the hell had just_ happened_ here? Had she really just... what? _What_? He began shaking his head slowly. "All of this is happening and... and you_ kiss_ me? You seriously have lost it, haven't you?" 

"I-I just thought that... look, it was the moment and-" she began.

"There was no moment," he said, incredulous.

Her eyes flashed. "Just because you didn't feel it doesn't mean it wasn't there, you know."

"Nina... I really hope this is one of your stunts. But, if it isn't, then, you really are crazy," he said.

"Tommy-" she began.

"There's no way you can actually believe that we're getting back together," he said.

"Would that really be so bad?" she said, throwing her hands up. "Okay! I've messed up- a lot! But people have gotten through a lot worse than this, Tommy. Besides, you can't tell me that you don't still feel _something_ for me."

"You know what I've felt towards you since hearing I was gonna be a father? Rage. Rage, Nina. And, trust me, that's putting it mildly!" he said.

"I know that you-" she began.

"No, you don't. You don't know. You stood me up at our_ wedding_, skipped town and kept your pregnancy a secret from me for months. Then, you bolted again. You. don't. know," he said, his voice as cold as ice. She looked away and he continued to speak. "You have no idea how I felt and how I'm feeling right now. You probably never will."

"I can imagine. I can. I broke your heart and humiliated you. Not purposely, though. I know it's real easy to think that I'm an evil bitch, but, deep down... you know I'm not. You _know_ I'm not, Tommy. If I were, how could you have ever even been attracted to me in the first place?" she said, throwing her hands up.

"You did what you did. There's no going back," he said flatly.

"You can't know that for sure," she said.

"I can and do," he said. Leaving him the way she had had done what he felt was some real damage. He wasn't that strong a believer in love anymore. He'd grown really hesitant about it. Sure, seeing his friends and happy couples kind of got to him sometimes, but, he would just have to deal as far as he was concerned. Something in him had been broken and he was pretty sure it couldn't be fixed.

"Okay. Okay. Like I said earlier, I won't fight you. Hell, I shouldn't be- considering. I'll leave Seattle and come to Reefside. We'll work something out after the baby's born," she said, sighing.

"Good," was all that came out of Tommy's mouth.

* * *

It was now three weeks later- third Saturday in August- and Tommy was in his backyard, running through katas. Nina stood in the kitchen, watching him through the window. She'd been staying in one of his spare rooms. Tommy felt that staying with him- no matter how awkward- was the best solution... seeing as how he didn't exactly trust her. 

Nina lifted her glass of tea to her lips. Tommy's friends were polite to her, but, Nina knew that was only because they wanted to make things easier for Tommy and the unborn child. Less tension and all. Nina understood why they acted the way they did towards her, but, she sure as hell didn't care. She and Tommy were linked for life and there wasn't crap they could do about it.

'_I was wrong, Tommy. I really thought that getting married would've been a mistake. But I was_ _wrong- dead wrong. I'm more certain than ever that we should try again. I know it's worth it. You'll see, too_,' she thought, smiling softly.

* * *

"That roast was really good, Nina," Kimberly said on Sunday night with a polite smile. She and Jason had come over to Tommy's for dinner- mostly because of _Nina_'s insistence. Their son, Jeff, was with Jason's parents. Anyhow, they'd just finished the meal the pregnant woman'd prepared. 

"Thanks, Kim. How about you, Jason? Did you like it?" Nina asked with a sweet smile.

"Sure. It was great. But you really shouldn't have gone to so much trouble since you'll be having the baby pretty soon," Jason said.

Nina waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, it's fine. It was no trouble at all. I'm probably one of the most energetic pregnant women you'll ever meet. Now, if you guys'll excuse me, I'm gonna get dessert."

"I'll get it," Tommy said.

"No, no, no. It's okay- really. You just sit tight," Nina said, then, stood, turned and exited the room.

Jason and Kimberly exchanged glances, then, looked at Tommy. "What the hell's going on?" they asked in unison.

Tommy sighed and shook his head. "Great question. She's been like this since yesterday. All the sweetness and... I don't know. I don't know what she's up to. It just better not be another escape attempt."

"For some reason, I don't think that's it," Kimberly said.

"Well, whatever it is, I'm keeping my guard up," Tommy said.

"Smart move," Jason said.

Nina re-entered with chocolate cake. She grinned. "Here's dessert. You know, Kim and Jason, I wish you'd have brought Jeff with you. I haven't seen him since I've been back. He was so adorable the last time I saw him. Do you have any pictures with you?"

"Uh, sure. In my wallet. I'll get my purse," Kimberly said, standing. She glanced at Jason, then, turned and exited the room.

"I just love kids. I can't believe I'm gonna be having my own little bundle of cuteness in a few weeks. Wow. Isn't it amazing, Tommy?" Nina said, a dreamy expression on her face.

"I can't wait to see my son," he said quietly.

"Neither can I," Nina said as Kimberly re-entered. She leaned forward, passed the wallet to Nina and took her seat.

Nina's eyes lit up as she looked at the first picture- it was one of Jeff, Kimberly and Jason. "This is so cute. You guys look like the perfect little family . Oh, and this one! He's just- wow. He could definitely be one of those kids in the commercials. You two have a beautiful boy here."

"Thanks," Kimberly and Jason said in unison.

Nina handed Kimberly the wallet, then, grinned at Tommy. "I hope our son has your eyes, you know. In fact, I hope he looks exactly like you. You know what? I'm sure he will. So, does anyone want any refills?"

"I'm good," Jason said, ignoring his growing uneasiness.

"Me, too," Kimberly said.

"Same here," Tommy said slowly.

"Well, I can't say the same," Nina said with a giggle. "Excuse me again, will you?" Then, she stood, grabbed her glass and headed for the kitchen. Once she was inside of the room, she leaned against the counter and a cold smile lit her face. Everything was going great as far she was concerned. It was only a matter of time.

'_I'm getting you back, Tommy Oliver... and heaven help anybody that tries to get in my way_,' she thought.

* * *


	17. Chapter 17

**And I decided to crank out another update for this.**

**Y'all know how it goes: thanks so much.**

**Excuse any grammatical errors that may appear.**

**Here we go...**

* * *

Tommy opened his door five days later- Friday night- to find Katherine standing there. They'd hadn't_ really_ talked much lately. It made sense- considering how busy she'd been with everything. Anyhow, he'd invited her over simply because he'd, well, missed her. They shared a hug and grinned at each other. "Come on in, Kat." 

"Thanks," she said as she stepped into the house. She looked at him after he'd closed and locked the door. "Where's Nina and did she know I was coming over?"

"She's in the spare room- reading- and, yes, she knew. Not that it really matters," he said as they headed for the den. After all, it was _his _house. Katherine laughed lightly and nodded.

"I can understand that," she said as they sat on the sofa. Tommy sprang right back to his feet and she quirked an eyebrow. "Is something wrong?"

"No. Do you want anything to drink?" he asked.

"Water would be nice," she said.

"Water. You really know how to live it up, Kat," he joked- causing her to laugh. "I'll be right back," he said, then, turned and exited the room. He returned a minute later with a bottled water and a can of soda for himself. "Here ya go."

"Thanks," she said as he sat. "Maybe I _should've_ asked for the "hard" stuff... like Pepsi," she quipped as she uncapped the water.

He laughed. "Or Dr. Pepper," he said- causing her to laugh. Then, he sighed. "So, have you heard anything at all from Mike?" Tommy still couldn't believe the guy had had Katherine followed. '_What a nut_.'

Katherine sighed herself. "No. Haven't seen or heard from him since Stan told me what was going on. You know... I'm still kind of bothered by the fact that Mike is so messed up. I feel... disappointed. Do you think that's crazy?"

"Of course not. Kat, you were with him for a long time. There's nothing wrong with being upset by the fact that he wasn't really the guy you thought he was. And it's natural to still care about that guy and wanna believe that he still has decency somewhere inside of him," Tommy said.

"And that's what you wanna believe about Nina," Katherine said with a soft smile.

"I think a part of me is always gonna wanna believe that," he said.

"The same with Mike," Katherine said. Before she could say another word, Nina walked in with a huge smile on her face. An odd sensation washed over Katherine and her eyes narrowed slightly.

"_Hi_, Kat," she said warmly. "That's a really great outfit you're wearing."

"Thanks," Katherine said in the most polite tone she could muster.

"Sure," Nina chirped. "I hate to interrupt you guys- I honestly do- but, Tommy, have you been wondering just what in the world are we gonna name our son?"

"It's crossed my mind," he said.

"Well, I wrote down a few possibilities on this paper. Why don't you and Kat look 'em over and lemme know what you think?" Nina said, then, handed her baby's father the paper.

"Oh, thanks, Nina, but, this is really between you and Tommy," Katherine said.

"Nonsense. Tommy's friends are going to be a major and important part of this child's life. I'd really like your input," Nina said. Katherine still looked skeptical. "Come on, Kat! Please?"

"Sure," Katherine said quietly. After looking over the names, she spoke up. "Well, they're all nice, but, I'd go with Mark or Josh."

"Those are exactly the two _I_ was leaning towards! Looks like you and I are on the same wavelength," Nina said, laughing.

'_There goes something to wake up screaming about in the middle of night_,' Katherine thought, a fake smile on her face.

"So, what do you think, Tommy?" Nina asked.

"They're both fine to me. Choose whichever one you like more," Tommy said, seriously wanting her to leave the room.

"Josh. Definitely Josh," Nina said. Tommy nodded and she grinned. "Thanks! Well, I'll let you two get back to whatever it is you were doing. See ya." Then, she turned and exited the room.

Katherine looked at Tommy. "Is it me or is she just a _teensy_ bit transparent?" she said with a small laugh.

"I've been watching her like a hawk," he said.

"Don't you mean falcon?" she quipped. He laughed.

* * *

"You mean to tell me you've _still _got nothing- after all this time?" Mike said to Stan. The two men were standing in an old warehouse. Mike'd been spending a lot of time in this place lately and Stan'd never questioned it since Mike'd always had quirks and all. "All this time and nothing? _Nothing_ on her?" 

"Right. What difference does it even make? You said you didn't care if it were anything interesting or not, man, remember? " Stan said, raising his eyebrows. "You just wanted her watched."

"Yeah, but... you've been kinda weird lately, bro. I mean, it's just- wait. Where is she now?" Mike asked suspiciously.

Stan laughed. "Why are you getting all police-y on me, man?"

"Stan, what the hell's going on?" Mike asked seriously.

"What do you mean?" Stan asked.

"Cut the fucking crap, man. Something's not right here," Mike said, shaking his head slowly.

"I've been weird lately? Hell, of course I have! When the hell am I _not _weird?" Stan said, throwing his hands up.

Mike gave his friend a long, hard look. He'd known Stan a long time, so... "You haven't been following her at all, have you?"

"Mike-" Stan began.

"Just stop screwing around and answer me, dammit!" Mike exploded.

"Chill out, man. Chill out. Okay. Okay. The truth? No, I haven't been following her. It was only that one time. I couldn't go through with it, man," Stan said.

"You said you weren't gonna wimp out," Mike said calmly.

"It's got nothing to do with wimping out, Mike. It's just _crazy_, man. She said she moved on and you won't let go. Bro, you're heading down a road to nowhere. If you don't drop this now, you're gonna totally wreck yourself. Seriously," Stan said.

"I knew I should've handled this whole thing myself. That old saying's right on the money, man. If ya want something done right, do it yourself," Mike said, nodding.

"Did you hear _anything_ I just said?" Stan said.

"I heard. But, Stan, you just don't get it. It's not crazy to _me_. If I truly believed it was over for Kat and me, I wouldn't bother. You know that," Mike said, sighing.

"But _she_ believes it's done, man," Stan said. "Look, I told her, all right? I told her what you wanted me to do and I apologized. I'm sorry, but I just didn't feel right about it."

"I'm sure she hates me right now. But we can work something out eventually," Mike said, rubbing his chin.

"Say, why don't we go get a couple beers and take our minds off things? This place is a downer," Stan said.

"Yeah. Beer's a good idea. I could definitely use one or two," Mike said calmly.

"Same here," Stan said, then, turned and began heading off. "I know it feels like I betrayed you, bro, but, I did you a favor. I'm sure you'll see that sooner or later. I mean, you really shouldn't be wasting all your time on a woman that wants nothing more to do with you. You-" He stopped abruptly when what was obviously... bullets got him in the head and back.

* * *


	18. Chapter 18

**The next installment of YMTA is here.**

**As always, thanks for your patience.**

**Madness... .**

**Let's do this!**

* * *

Mike stared at the gun in his hand as though it were a foreign object. Had he really just..._ killed_ another person? A close friend of his? Had he really just ended a human's life? He felt a... numbness in spite of what he'd just done. He slowly made his way up to the dead man and looked down at him. So still. So incredibly still. Never would he move again. But it'd had to be done. 

"I'm not mad at you, Stan," he said calmly. "Just disappointed. Hurt. You turned on me and that really hurts. But I'm not mad and I never will be. You were always a decent guy and I'll never forget that. I'm really gonna miss you. It didn't have to come to this, but, I snapped. You know me. I don't deal with pain and disappointment well. You understand why I did this. I know you do."

Mike shook his head slowly. "When I wake up tomorrow, I'll think about this. I'll think about how it felt when I realized that I was going to kill you. I'll remember how pulling this trigger felt. I'll think about it all for a long time to come. I didn't want you dead. I just wanted you on my side. As much as I wanted and still want Kat to take me back... which she will do. She really has no choice in the matter now."

"I'm sick of being nice about this, Stan. I'm sick of waiting for her to come to her senses about us. I can't take much more of it. I have to take matters in my own hands and I will. I have to before some other idiot tries to snatch her up. She's so amazing. That's why I'm getting her back and marrying her. She'll be upset at first, but, when she sees how deeply I love her and how she could never have found that with another living soul... she'll forgive me for everything."

Mike half-smiled. "Deep down, I know you understood, man. Now, let's get you outta here and to a nice, quiet place where no one can bother you. A place where you can rest easy. Don't worry, man. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Pretty soon, I'll have everything I need."

* * *

Katherine stepped out of her parents' house the next day- Saturday morning. Her folks were out. She planned to have her own place in the next couple weeks. The blonde locked the door, then, turned to head for her rental car. She was going over to Tommy's for a late breakfast- they'd planned it the night before. 

"Hi," a male voice said just as she'd been about to step off of the porch.

Katherine stopped and looked to her right to see Mike standing a few feet away. What the hell was he doing here? Just what she needed to start her day off. Irritation surged through her and she sighed. "I really don't appreciate you just showing up at my parents' house like this, Mike."

"I understand. I'm sorry," he said.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"Are you going somewhere?" he asked.

"As a matter of fact, I am. That's why I want you to state your business and leave," Katherine said.

He looked down, then, slowly looked up several moments later. " I know Stan told you and I just wanted to apologize." She just looked at him and he took a deep breath. "I don't know what I was thinking. Having you followed. I gotta tell you, Kat, I don't like whom I've become."

"You mean what you've always been- apparently," she said coldly.

"No. No, Kat. There's a part of me that's dead and cold inside," he said dejectedly. Tears sprang to his eyes. "I don't blame you for not wanting me back, but... I don't think I'll ever stop wishing you did. It's hard to let go, Kat. You have no idea. See... you're the only thing in my life that I've ever really wanted and when I was stupid enough to walk away from you and what we had, I hated myself. Deep down, I really did." The tears were streaming down his face.

"That hatred didn't stop you from staying in a relationship with another woman," Katherine said flatly.

"It was mainly a cover. I wasn't really happy. I told you I didn't love her and I didn't. I made a stupid mistake and I'll regret it until the day I die. Kat, one thing I really miss is your friendship. You were always an incredible friend. I had it all and I didn't appreciate it," he said, his voice cracking.

"No, you didn't," she said.

"I want us to be friends again, at least. I want us to try and be friends again, Kat," he said.

"Mike-" she began.

"Kat, I need you like I've never needed anyone in my life. Please. We... we don't have to get back together. I won't even bring it up. I'd rather have you as a friend than nothing at all. You're so understanding and compassionate. We all need someone like that in our lives. Someone gentle and kind. Someone that keeps you grounded. Keeps you from completely losing it," he said.

"You're right. We do all need someone like that. But I can't be that person for you anymore, Mike. Now, I really have to go because someone is expecting me and I don't wanna keep them waiting," she said.

"You don't have to decide right now," he said.

"I just did. I-" she began.

"Please, Kat. Please. I am _begging_ you. Think it over. Please. I just want friendship. I mean that. I understand that you've moved on and I'd like help moving on myself," he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"If you really mean that, then, I'm the wrong person to help you. After all, I am the person you're trying to move past" she said.

"I know it's weird and a little crazy, but, I really believe you can help. You always could. Listen, if nothing else, you are a great person to talk to. I need that," he said.

"What about Stan?" she asked.

"Stan's my bud, but, it's different with him. He's not exactly great at talking about feelings and all that. Deep, serious conversations makes him a little uncomfortable," he said.

"Family?" she said. '_Why_ _am I still standing here talking to him? I don't wanna talk to him. I don't even want anything to do with him. Besides, he could very well be standing here trying to pull a stupid stunt_.'

He waved his hand dismissively. "I'm not really that close with any of my relatives. Look, Kat, I'm staying at Stan's place in Stone Canyon. It's pretty easy to find. Just think things over, please. If you decide to let me back in- I'm talking friendship, of course- come and see me. If you decide not to, that's fine, too. No pressure. Well, I gotta head. See ya around."

She watched as he gave her a smile, then, turned and headed down the steps.

* * *


	19. Chapter 19

**Here's the next update for YMTA.**

**Thanks for your patience.**

**I've been looking forward to writing this chapter... MORE drama. LOL.**

**On I go...**

* * *

Yeah. Uh-huh. Of course I'll tell him," Mike said six days later- Friday evening. He sat back on the couch and laughed. "Yeah, it _is_ crazy. But you know how he is. If he gets the urge to do something, he does it. Crazy guy. But I'll be sure to tell him you called when he gets back. Mm-hmm. Nice talking to you, too. Thanks. Bye." Mike sighed as he sat the cordless phone on the coffee table. He ran his hands through his dark hair. 

He had been telling Stan's family and friends all kinds of stories as far as his whereabouts were concerned for the last week. It was almost too easy to lie... . Everything was going smoothly so far. He was pretty sure he could keep people from getting suspicious or worried for a little while longer. He'd figure something out when an acceptable amount of time'd passed. Luckily, Stan'd always been an impulsive guy- so the lies were more than believable. He'd also have the rent, bills and all that covered for the time being... he'd always had his ways of handling things.

'_It_ _really is too bad about the guy, though_,' Mike thought as he opened his can of soda and shook his head. It wasn't Stan's fault he was gone, though. '_It isn't exactly mine, either. It's not like_ _I had any_ _other choice. If there were any other way, he'd be here right now. I know he knows that. Guy always knew me better than anybody. Really sorry, though, man. I am_.'

He picked the remote up and began channel-surfing and whistling. Just then, knocking sounded at the door and he cursed silently as he turned the television off. It was probably one of the many women Stan had been seeing. Mike stood and headed to the door, muttering. He unlocked and opened it to find a brunette woman around his own age standing there. His eyebrows shot up.

'_She's_ _pregnant- very pregnant. Stan failed to mention **this**_,' he thought. Unless Stan had known nothing about this.

She smiled at Mike. "Hi."

"Hello," he said slowly.

"I'm Nina Dawson- Tommy's ex-fiancee," she said.

"And Tommy would be..." Mike said. Had Stan been using aliases or something? And ex-fiancee? _What_?

"Tommy Oliver... as in Kat Hillard's ex-boyfriend," she said. Mike's eyes darkened and Nina's smile widened.

"I know of him," he said coldly. "What about him?"

"Let me come in and I'll tell you," she said.

"How'd you know where I lived and why are you here?" he asked.

"Let me come in and I'll tell you," she repeated.

He stared at her for several seconds, then, moved aside to let her enter. "Ex-fiancee, huh? Is he the father of that kid that looks about ready to burst from you?"

"Yeah, he is. My baby boy's gonna be making his debut next Saturday- supposedly," she said. "Nice apartment."

"Thanks. Now, why don't we get down to why you're in it," he said as they sat on the sofa.

"You'll be pissed to know that Kat and Tommy've been spending almost all of their free time together lately," Nina said. It was the absolute truth- unfortunately. Just thinking about it burned her up! She was so passionately sick of Katherine- and Tommy's other friends, for that matter.

Mike's eyes blazed, but, his voice was calm when he spoke. "Why do you think I care?"

She smirked. "I know you want Kat back, Mike. I've "overheard" conversations. I'm glad you're in Stone Canyon. I got my first apartment here after I moved from my hometown. I still have a few friends here, actually. You know, I just might visit-"

"Just because they're spending a lotta time together doesn't mean-" he began.

"You know better than that, Mikey. Look, you want her back and I want you to have her back. I don't want anything standing in my way. If Tommy starts falling for her again... look, I'm gonna help you with getting her back, all right?" Nina said.

"What makes you think I need or want your help?" Mike said, silently fuming over the idea of Katherine and Tommy.

"You're getting it anyway," Nina snapped. "Tommy and I are gonna be parents. I want us to be a family. I want-"

"Save your picket fences dream for someone who gives a crap. How the hell can you help me?" he asked. He hated to admit it, but, he did need an ally. Nina seemed to be the perfect choice. They both wanted their exes back.

"We'll work out the details after Josh gets here," she said, waving her hands dismissively. He frowned in confusion. "My baby," she said. "Believe me when I say that I want Miss Sweetness and Light outta the way. I can't have her ruining my plans."

"Man. You really are all about _you_, aren't ya?" he said, laughing. "I like that in a person."

"It's not like I want Blondie dead or anything. Geez. I just don't need Tommy becoming attracted to her again," Nina said.

"I can understand that. I can't let Kat get involved with anyone else- especially someone she was already involved with. Especially_ him_, of all people," Mike said in disgust.

"What do you mean, 'of all people'?" Nina demanded.

"Don't get all defensive on me. I don't want Kat with him again. No way in hell. I know enough about Tommy Oliver the Magnificent to know this: I don't like him," Mike said.

"It's not like your sweet Katherine is something to write home about," Nina snapped.

"Watch it," Mike snapped.

"You watch it," she retorted. "Now, I have to get the hell out of here. Are you gonna work with me or what?"

"I'm in," Mike said calmly. "Without a doubt."

"Good. Stick with me and we'll both have what we want," she said gleefully.

"We'd better," he said.

"Now, that sounds like a threat... I don't much like threats," she said, quirking an eyebrow.

"That's just something you'll have to work on, isn't it?" he said lightly.

She laughed and shook her head. "You know, I really would try my damnedest to stay off of my bad side if I were you."

"That works both ways, sweetheart," he said.

"We understand each other," she said.

"Perfectly," he said.

They looked into each others' eyes and shook hands.

* * *


	20. Chapter 20

**I decided to risk (LOL) putting another chappie out here.**

**Thanks for the feedback. :-)**

**Now, I best get on with it!**

* * *

"Please, ma'am. Try to calm yourself and tell me what happened once more," Detective Julie Bowen said in a firm but soft voice about two hours later. She and another officer- Detective Matthew Burke- were at a cabin that belonged to the Watson family. Mr. Watson'd called the station a very short while ago- his wife had been frantic in the background. He and Burke were talking out back while Bowen was up front with a shaken Mrs. Watson. 

"I, I'm so sorry," Mrs. Watson said as the tears streamed down her face. "It's just so horrible and I, I can't get the image outta my head. I mean, Harry and I came up here hoping to have a nice weekend and... oh."

Bowen placed a comforting hand on the older woman's shoulder. "It's okay, Mrs. Watson. It's okay."

Mrs. Watson took a deep, shaky breath. "I just did _not _expect to see that when I went out back. I will never forget..." Her voice trailed off as Burke and Mr. Watson returned. She shook her head. "Oh, Harry. I just can't. I just can't."

Mr. Watson sat on the other side of his wife and put his arm around her. He looked from Burke to Bowen. "Whomever did it obviously thought this cabin was abandoned. In a way, that's understandable- seeing as how we haven't used it in a while." He shook his head as he remembered his wife's screams. She'd gone out back, spotted a lumpy, oddly shaped... something. When she'd neared it, she'd pulled back the dark material covering it and... .

"It's awful," Mrs. Watson whispered.

"Yes, it is," Bowen said grimly. Then, she looked at the other detective. "Was there any I.D. on him?"

Burke nodded. "Yeah. His name is Stanley Rhodes."

* * *

"Hey, guys. Come on in," Jason said a short while later as he let Zack and his fiancee, Julia Ramirez, into the house. Kimberly'd invited the couple over for dinner. Both Zack and Jason knew that the former pink ranger wanted to get in some last minute wedding planning. Zack grinned as he and Julia followed Jason into the den. 

"So, what're we eating tonight, bro?" he asked as they all sat.

"Pot roast and vegetables," Jason said.

"I'll go see if Kim needs any help," Julia said, standing.

"Prepare yourself, baby," Zack said to the woman he'd be marrying next month. "Too bad ya left ya shield at home."

"He's right. The wedding talk is nowhere near over," Jason said.

Julia laughed. "It's not so bad. I like how excited she's been during all of this. I'm thankful for her and Aisha, to tell the truth. I kinda suck at planning things." Then, she exited the room.

"Where's Jason, part two?" Zack asked as he sat back.

"In the kitchen with Kim. So, the Zackman's gonna be a husband soon. How ya feeling, bro?" Jason asked his other best friend with a grin.

"Fan_tastic_, man. I can't wait to make her Mrs. Taylor. I'm not anywhere near nervous," Zack said.

"Glad to hear it, man. Julia's really good for you," Jason said honestly.

"Thanks, Jase," Zack said just as Kimberly stepped into the room- holding Jeff in her arms. "Hey, Kim. What's up, lil man?"

"Hi, Zack," Kimberly said as her now happily laughing son tried to jump out of her arms. He was crazy about her and Jason's friends. "Whoa! Relax, bunny rabbit," she said with a laugh.

"Zzzzack!" Jeff said eagerly as his mother headed over to her old friend.

Zack laughed and took the little boy from Kimberly. "How's it going, little dude?" The little boy gave a nonsensical answer and Zack nodded. "Yeah. The same with me," he said. Kimberly and Jason laughed.

* * *

"I think I can safely say that that was the best salad I've ever had- so far, that is," Katherine said to Tommy with a soft laugh as they walked out of a Reefside cafe sometime later. The two'd decided to have a sort of late dinner together the day before. Tommy looked over at his ex and smiled. 

"The food was pretty great," he agreed.

"It was delicious. Tommy, um... are you sure it was a good idea leaving Nina alone at the house?" she asked, lifting her eyebrows slightly.

"It's fine. I really don't think she's going to try to "escape"," he said.

"Maybe not. But, you know, something still doesn't seem quite right to me. I think she's up to _something_," Katherine said as they neared his Jeep.

"So do I. But whatever it is, I'll just have to do all I can to make sure it doesn't work out for her," Tommy said.

Katherine nodded. She honestly didn't blame him. Nina was really something and that sweetnees act was more than a little off-putting.

"She was acting kinda weird when she got back from visiting her friend in Stone Canyon," Tommy said as he unlocked and opened the door for the blonde woman.

"Really? How so?" Katherine asked as she got into the Jeep.

Tommy sighed as she leaned over to unlock his door. "I guess it was how she was being all overly cheerful. Especially when I told her I was gonna be having dinner with you." Katherine's eyebrows shot up. He shrugged, then, closed her door and headed around the Jeep to the driver's side.

"What did she say?" she asked after he'd gotten into the Jeep.

"She grinned and said: "That's fantastic! Have fun!" Then, she gave me a kiss on the cheek," he said as he turned the key in the ignition. The engine came to life.

"Wow. I wish we knew what she was planning," Katherine said as they buckled their seatbelts.

"Me, too. But, like I said, I'll do all I can to make sure whatever it is doesn't work out for her," he said as he began backing out of the parking space.

"Then, there's Mike," Katherine said with a sigh. "You should've seen him that morning, Tommy. He deserves an Oscar."

"I can't believe he actually thought you were gonna fall for that," Tommy said, shaking his head.

"I can," she said glumly. "He has himself completely convinced that we'll be together again." Then, she fell silent and began staring out the window.

Tommy looked over at her, then, refocused on driving. He and Katherine had their plates full. But, at the moment, all he wanted to do was forget everything that was going on in his life. He was pretty sure Katherine was feeling the same way. "Kat?"

"Yeah?" she said, still staring out of the window.

"Do you wanna go for a walk on the beach? You know- to clear our heads a little bit?" he asked.

She looked over at him and gave him a grateful smile. "That'd be great, Tommy. Thanks."

"No problem," he said with a smile.

A short while later, they were walking along the beach. Side by side. It was a really quiet night- probably because they were the only two on the beach. Actually, it was much more than quiet. It was tranquil. Very tranquil. It seemed almost unreal and that was exactly what they both needed right now. They stopped walking and turned to stare out at the calm, dark water.

"Having to keep our guards up... it really takes you back, doesn't it?" she said softly.

"You said it," he said with a chuckle. "But, you gotta remember... once a ranger, always a ranger." She laughed and he smiled. Then, he sighed. "I'm really looking forward to seeing my son, but, it'd be _great _to trade lives with almost anyone right now."

"I know what you mean," she said.

Tommy nodded slowly, then, looked around. When his eyes landed on her, he inhaled sharply- unable to help it. Katherine had always been beautiful, but, looking at her right now... in the moonlight... . She slowly turned her face towards his and they just stared at each other.

"Thanks again for suggesting this," she said in a quiet voice.

"Sure," he murmured. They continued to stare and Tommy brought his hand up to her face a few moments later. Again... unable to help it. The atmosphere was getting to them both. He moved his hand off of her face, grabbed _her_ hand and began slowly pulling her to him. Their lips met in a soft kiss. Past memories began rolling into their heads as it deepened.

* * *


	21. Chapter 21

**Well, here's the next chapter. :-)**

**I'm still blocked, but, I decided to risk it. LOL.**

**Thanks, as always.**

* * *

Katherine blinked when her and Tommy's intense kiss ended a couple minutes later. Tommy opened his mouth as though he were going to say something, then, he snapped it shut and looked down at his feet. Katherine, however, looked up at the sky. It was as though neither of them had any idea what to do with their eyes at the moment. Their minds were whirling and they felt a little dazed. Their eyes met a few moments later. 

"Kat, I'm-" he began.

"Tommy, that-" she began at the exact same time. They both chuckled- a little uneasily, then, Katherine cleared her throat. "You can go first."

"No, no. You go ahead," he said.

"It's okay. You can go first. I don't mind," she said.

"And I don't mind_ not_ going first. Go ahead. Really," he said.

"It's fine, Tommy," she insisted.

"Kat, I don't have to-" he began.

"I think I will go first- otherwise, we might be here til New Year's Day," she said- causing him to laugh. She smiled. "Well... that was a really nice kiss."

"Very nice," he agreed. "As much as I enjoyed it, though... I don't know exactly what made me do it. Not that I regret it, it's just-"

"It's all right, Tommy. I know exactly what you mean," she said seriously.

He nodded. "I want you to know that it's been great just being with you again."

"I feel the same way," she said.

"So, you've enjoyed being with you, too. Nice," he joked.

"Delightful is the term, I think," she teased. They both laughed- feeling a little more relaxed now.

"Listen, Kat, I don't know what's gonna happen next. I'm not sure whether it was just a kiss or..." his voice trailed off.

"Neither am I," she said honestly.

"I guess it's too soon to tell anyway, huh?" he said, then, scratched his head. The truth was, even though he knew he could trust Katherine and definitely wanted to kiss her again, he was still hesitant about love. Nina'd really done a number on him.

Katherine placed a hand on his shoulder. "Tommy, we can have this conversation another time. Nothing has to be rushed. I... I'm not going anywhere."

He smiled at that. "You're right. Come on. I'll take you home now."

* * *

Tommy walked into his house a short while later- thinking about Katherine and how good and familiar that kiss had been. His mind had been on that moment he'd pulled her to him on the beach ever since they'd left. He was also thinking of how reluctant he'd become about love and relationships. He was basically a little crazy right now. 

He sighed as he headed for the kitchen. After entering the room, he pulled the door to the fridge open and grabbed a can of beer.

"Hey. How was your evening?"

Tommy turned to see Nina standing in the doorway, rubbing her belly slowly. She had a small smile on her face.

"Fine," he said. Her eyebrows shot up. "What is it?" he asked as he opened the beer.

"Nothing, it's just, well... "fine"? That's all?" she said.

"What are you looking for here, Nina?" he asked, leaning back against the now closed refrigerator.

She shrugged. "I don't know. Something more than "fine", I guess."

"Why?" he asked.

"You don't have to sound so suspicious. Oh... right," she said, biting her lower lip. "Look, I really care about you. I know you may never believe that, but, it's true. I want you to be happy. Maybe you and Kat can find happiness together again."

Tommy gave his ex-fiancee a long, hard look. "Nina, I'm really not in the mood to deal with any games, so-"

"Actually, I mean every word. I do want you to be happy. Kat made you happy once and I'm sure she can again. She's a really nice person," Nina said.

"I don't wanna talk about this," he said.

"Or maybe you just don't wanna talk about it with me. Why, Tommy? Because we were gonna get married so it makes you uncomfortable? It shouldn't," she said.

Hearing her say "we were gonna get married" made his eyes darken. The last thing he needed was her, of all people, reminding him of that horrible day. "I don't wanna talk about this," he repeated calmly before drinking some of his beer.

"Are you worried I have something up my sleeve? Well, I don't, Tommy. When I kissed you in Seattle, it was a moment of weakness. That's all. We've both moved on and I truly accept that. We should just co-parent and... work on becoming friends," she said, looking into his eyes.

'_I must have "idiot" stamped on me somewhere. She's unbelievable and I just plain don't like her. I_ _really_, _really don't_,' he thought as he slowly drank his beer. Nina continued to ramble, but, he only half-listened. She was like a track on a CD that'd been put on repeat.

* * *

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Tanya asked Katherine on Monday night. The two women were on the telephone. Everyone'd heard about Stan on the news a couple days ago. 

"Well... no. But, Stan was his best friend," Katherine said.

"I know, but, Kat... going to see him? Mike? Just think about it," Tanya said.

"Tanya, thinking about it is all I've been doing. On the one hand, Mike is devastated right now and needs all the comfort he can get. On the other hand, he could use my sympathy to his advantage. Then, I get to thinking that he wouldn't do that. After all, he just lost his closest friend. But, then, I start thinking about the fact that Mike isn't really the man I thought I knew, so, maybe he _would_ try to use this to get me back," Katherine said.

"I understand why a little part of you wants to hold on to the hope that there's some decency in him. I mean, you were with him for a long time, girl," Tanya said.

"Yeah. I was," Katherine said softly. "Maybe I should go see how he's holding up."

"Sometimes, you're too nice for your own good," Tanya said with a light laugh. After chatting a few more minutes, the best friends said good-bye.

Katherine sighed. She was really conflicted here! One part of her was telling her that there was no harm in going to see Mike while the other part was telling her that she'd be making a huge mistake by going to him. Which part was she going to listen to?

* * *


	22. Chapter 22

**Author's Note**:

I decided to_ try_ to push through the evil known as writer's block and update this story. I hate that it's been neglected for so long. Hopefully, this chapter turns out all right. If not, never fear- there are more to come.

And off we go...

* * *

'_I wish this decision were easier_,' Katherine thought a few seconds later. It _should_ have been easy. After all, Mike_ had_ lost his friend. In spite of what had happened between Katherine and himself, she did feel horrible for him. That was just the type of person she was and had always been. She wasn't made of steel. The phone rang, then- causing her to jump a little. She sighed, glanced at the caller ID, then, answered. 

"Hi, Tommy," she said, leaning back against her headboard.

"Hey, Kat. What are you up to?" he asked casually.

"Well..." her voice trailed off. Should she tell him? '_Why not_? _It's not like I'm trying to hide_ _anything_.' Besides, this was Tommy. She cleared her throat. "Actually, I was thinking of maybe going to see Mike." She was met with utter silence. Obviously not a very good sign. The blonde swallowed hard after several moments. "Tommy?"

"I don't like it," he said quietly.

"I know. I'm not crazy about it, either. But, he and Stan were really close and I'm sure he can use all the comfort he can get," she said.

"What happened to Stan was awful and I do feel for his family, friends and Mike- I do, Kat- but, I just don't think you should be anywhere near that guy. I know that it's wrong to be thinking that way right now, but-" Tommy was saying.

"No, no, no. It's understandable, Tommy. As I said just seconds ago, I'm not crazy about this myself. But, I can't ignore it. Someone he cared a great deal about was killed. Thinking about the pain he's feeling really upsets me," she said.

"You never stop amazing me, Kat. You've got this way of making it seem easy to put your own personal feelings aside when you're in a situation that's, well, not much fun. I've always loved that about you," he said, the admiration clear in his voice.

She smiled. "Thanks."

"No problem," he said. "But, if you're gonna do this, I wanna go with you."

"Tommy, I-" she began.

"I'm begging you, Kat. Please don't fight me on this," he said.

"I'm sorry, but, you can't come with me. He's in a really bad place right now, but, he also still... loves me. Seeing us together wouldn't help matters," she said.

"You're right," he said with a sigh. "I don't want you to go to Mike's alone, though. That makes me very nervous. I'd feel better if one of our friends were with you and... wait. Maybe I _can_ come. I don't have to go in with you. I could be waiting right outside. That way, if anything happens, I'll only be a few feet away."

Katherine bit her lower lip. "That's not a bad idea." It honestly wasn't.

"Great. Now, I'll come over-" he was saying.

"Tommy!" Nina yelled in the background. "I need your help!"

He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Kat, but-"

"You have to go. It's fine, Tommy. After all, she may be having your child in a few days," Katherine said. "Listen, why don't we go to Mike's tomorrow?"

"Sure. I'll pick you up after dinner," he said.

"Okay," she said.

* * *

Mike cursed under his breath as he made his way to the front of the apartment much later that night. He'd been sleeping soundly when psychotic banging at the door had jolted him awake. After he reached the stupid door, he felt around for the light switch and flipped it on. "What?" he barked. 

"It's Nina, you idiot. Let me in," a voice called back.

He frowned. "What the hell is she doing here?" he muttered, then, unlocked and opened the door. Every time he saw her, she looked like she was going to have that baby right then and there. So very pregnant. "What do you want, Nina? Why are you here now? Do clocks not exist in your little world?"

She smirked, then, stepped into the apartment. "Good to see you, too."

"Seriously, shouldn't you be resting or whatever?" he said in a tone that clearly showed he really didn't care. He yawned.

"I'm fine," she said irritably. "Close the door, will ya?"

"What do you want? I need a damn good reason for being out of my bed at this very moment," he said as he closed the door. She turned, walked over to the couch and sat. His eyes narrowed and he slowly made his way up to her. "If this isn't freaking important, I want you to get the hell out of here."

"You're not a very pleasant guy, are you?" she said lightly.

"Don't screw with me, Nina. I'm not to be screwed with after being woken up at two in the morning. So, cut the crap and tell me why you're here," he said, his voice eerily cold.

"You _do_ consider Kat important, right? Who knows why, though," she said with a snort.

"The same reason she's important to you," he said.

"Kat is not important to me. She means nothing at all to me," she said.

"You want Tommy and you're threatened by her," he said. "Now, tell me what you're doing here before I get incredibly pissed."

She rolled her eyes. "You are such an ass. No wonder she doesn't want you back."

"Nina, for two cents, I would-" he began.

"All right, all right. Chill. I came here to tell you that I was listening to Tommy talk to Kat and she wants to come see how you're doing and offer some sympathy because of what happened to your friend," Nina said.

Mike's eyebrows shot up. "Really?"

"Don't do any happy dancing yet. Tommy wants to come with her because he doesn't want his precious sweetie being alone with you. So, they decided Tommy would wait outside in case you freak out or whatever. Of course, I had to hear him talk about great she is. Gag me," she said, curling her upper lip. "Anyhow, Tommy told me they're coming tomorrow. Well, today, actually- seeing as how it _is_ tomorrow already."

'_That damn Tommy is too much of a problem_,' Mike thought angrily. There was just no way he was going to let that guy come between Katherine and himself. No way in hell. It just wasn't acceptable. '_I should just take him out and get it over with. Nah. If I do that, Nina would have_ _me for lunch. This chick is seriously scary in her own way_.' The important thing was that Katherine still cared- apparently. He wasn't surprised at all that she'd want to come and see him. He could use this... .

"So, what are you gonna do now?" Nina asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"I'm gonna accept Katherine's sympathy, naturally," he said calmly.

"What about Tommy?" she asked.

"Believe this, Nina... everything will go _exactly _the way I want it to," he said, his eyes boring into hers.

* * *

**  
**


	23. Chapter 23

_**Well, I chose to try and crank out another chapter and I hope it goes over okay.**_

_**Thanks, as usual, to all supporters.**_

* * *

'_I can't believe I never even thought about the fact that I don't even know where Stan's place **is** exactly_,' Katherine thought as she made her way up to her parents' house the next evening. She remembered Mike telling her that it was in Stone Canyon and pretty easy to find. But she needed a little more than_ that_. When she reached the front door, her eyebrow lifted when she saw a white envelope taped to the door. It had her name written on it in bold letters.

'_What could this be? And I wonder why Mom or Dad didn't bring it into the house_,' she thought as she removed it from the door. It'd probably arrived after they'd come home. The blonde opened the envelope and retrieved a folded sheet of paper, then, she unfolded it and began reading silently...

**Dear Kat**, 

**I just wanna say, once again, how completely sorry I am about everything. My biggest screwup ever was ruining what we had. I won't lie to you... I was going to spend my life trying to win you back at any cost because I just love you so much and could never feel this way with anyone else. But, I know it'd be a huge waste of time. You don't feel the same way. That hurts like hell, but, I have to deal. I know it. However, there is only one way I can truly, truly accept the fact that you and I will never happen again. Only one way. There's something I need to discuss with you first, though. I've done something incredibly horrible and there's no one else I can tell. You might hate me forever, but, I have to tell you. It has to be done face to face. Please come. You can bring the US Army with you if you want. Just come. Please. It's very important and, afterwards, we'll never have to speak again. I'm begging you.**

**Mike **

Katherine saw that he'd written the directions to Stan's apartment building at the bottom of the page, then, she reread the letter. After she'd finished, she frowned. What could he have done that was so horrible and what did he mean by "only one way"? Her curiosity was rapidly getting the better of her. She needed to call Tommy.

* * *

"I'm sorry. I know we agreed to do this after dinner," Katherine said a short while later.

"It's fine," Tommy assured her. They were in his Jeep- heading for Stone Canyon. "To tell the truth, the sooner we do this, the better. I just hope that letter isn't part of some crazy plan of his."

"For some reason, I don't think it is. I can't explain it, but, the tone of the letter... there's something not right here at all, Tommy," she said, shaking her slowly. "I don't believe- even a little- that this is a scheme."

"Whatever it is, we'll be ready. Because there is just no way I'm letting anything happen to you," he said with fierce determination. "You just came back into my... all of our lives for good and we can't lose you."

She smiled and pretended not to notice his slip. It just wasn't the time or place to be talking about her and Tommy. They had Mike and Nina to deal with right now. More heavy issues would have to wait. She sighed. "What's really irking me is the "only one way" line he wrote. What in the world could he mean by that?"

"And that horrible thing he's done," Tommy said as he made a right turn. "I don't know what the hell's going on, but, I do know one thing. I can't wait outside, Kat. After reading that, I'd feel a lot better if I came in with you. Besides, he pretty much said you didn't have to show up alone."

"Okay," she said, nodding. "You can come in with me." 

He nodded, then, took her hand and squeezed it. 

* * *

"Well... we're gonna have to go in at some point," Katherine said quietly. She and Tommy had been sitting in the parking lot behind Stan's apartment building for almost ten minutes now. It wasn't exactly shocking that neither had rushed to get out of the Jeep. They were both wondering exactly what would greet them and what would go down while they were here. "As you said before, the sooner we do this, the better."

"Absolutely," Tommy said. Then, he took a deep breath and looked at her. "Ready?"

She thought for a few moments, then, nodded. "Yeah. Let's go."

A couple minutes later, they were standing in front of Stan's apartment. Katherine glanced at her ex-boyfriend, then, knocked several times on the door. They waited for several moments and received no answer. Katherine began knocking a little harder this time... and the door opened slightly. On its own. She and Tommy exchanged frowns. He stopped her when she made a move to enter the apartment.

"I'll go first," he said. She stepped aside, he moved closer and placed his hand on the doorknob. He looked at Katherine, then, began slowly pushing the door completely open. He stepped into the quiet apartment and looked around warily. Something was way, way off.

"Mike?" Katherine called after entering the apartment as well. "Mike? Mike, are you home?"

Tommy began moving further into the apartment- with Katherine following closely behind. Both were cautious. After all, you just never knew.

"I don't think he's here. I don't understand why- oh!" Katherine stopped abruptly and grabbed Tommy's arm. Her eyes had widened with horror.

"Kat, what's the mat- oh, no. Oh, _man_," Tommy said as he took in the sight.

Mike was definitely home, but, in a way, he wasn't... seeing as how he was currently lying completely still on the floor in a pool of his own blood.

* * *


	24. Chapter 24

_**I wanted to update this one again, so, I did.**_

**_To all supporters: thanks so much._**

* * *

Katherine stared at her... _dead_ ex-boyfriend with shocked eyes. Nausea began filling her slowly and she was now barely aware of the fact that she was holding onto Tommy's arm. Gone. Mike was gone.

Tommy's jaw dropped when he noticed the gun in Mike's hand. '_He killed himself,_' he thought, suddenly feeling chilly. Considering that the door hadn't been completely closed, it was possible someone else could have killed him and set it up to look like a suicide... but, it seriously looked as though Mike had taken his own life and- for some reason- that made more sense anyhow.

Katherine blinked and inhaled, then, exhaled slowly. She looked at Tommy- whom'd turned his head to look at her simultaneously. "He's dead," she said, her voice sounding faraway to her. Yes, she was stating the obvious, but, she had no idea what to say.

"Yeah," Tommy said in a low voice. "He did it himself." Evidently, he had no clue what to say, either.

Katherine released his arm, turned and hugged herself. She needed a moment. Just as she was about to close her eyes, she noticed a folded sheet of paper on the edge of the coffee table- her name was written on it in all capital letters and bright, red ink. What? "He wrote another letter," she said, speaking more to herself than Tommy.

Tommy turned and looked down at the letter. "It's probably a suicide note," he said, his voice still quiet.

She bent forward and picked the paper up with slightly trembling hands, then, unfolded it. "It says... dear Kat, I know you're reading this because we both knew you'd come like I asked you. This is my one way. Death. Death is the only way I can accept that we'll never be together again. I'd rather be dead than live in a world where you're not mine. I should've just offed myself the first time you turned me down. As for the incredibly horrible thing I did, well... it's Stan. I'm the one who... killed him. After he told me he let you in on my plans, something inside of me snapped. That's no excuse, but, I seriously felt betrayed. I know a part of me regrets doing it, but, I don't regret choosing to off myself. I love you, Kat, but, I can't have a life without you in it. So, this is goodbye- for good. Mike."

Tommy was stunned. Mike had killed Stan. He knew the guy had had problems, but, still. Hearing that he'd took out his close friend... whoa.

Katherine looked at Tommy, tears in her eyes now. "We should call..."

"Yeah," Tommy said, wanting to hold her as tightly as he could. "I'll do it."

* * *

It was now over two weeks later- Friday evening- and Tommy was sitting on his couch, holding his son in his arms. Joshua Oliver had entered the world exactly two weeks ago and Tommy was simply amazed. He smiled down at the little boy he wished he never had to put down. There wasn't a word in the English language that could describe what he was feeling right now.

"Isn't he incredible?" came Nina's voice.

Tommy looked up to see her standing in the doorway, smiling. "Yeah," he agreed.

She came over and sat next to him. "He looks just like you."

"That's what everyone else thinks," he said.

"Tommy... what now? What about us?" she asked.

Tommy sighed. "Nina, we've been over this. There's no us."

"Tommy, look at our son. Look at the beautiful miracle we made together. You don't think he deserves to have a family?" she said.

"I knew this was gonna happen. I knew you were gonna try to use our son as a way to get me back," he said, shaking his head.

"I'm _not_- listen, I just want another chance. There's no reason we can't try to be a family-" she was saying.

"We could've been a family, Nina," Tommy said, trying hard to keep the anger from creeping into his voice. "We could have been, but, you chose to walk away. _You_ did. Now, I don't wanna keep talking about this because there's no point. I'm over it. We won't be happening again and you have to accept that."

Nina's eyes filled with fury, but, she spoke calmly. "It's Kat, isn't it? That's why you're really rejecting me. Because of Goldilocks."

"Kat has nothing to do with this," he said honestly. "It's time you start blaming yourself. After all, you're the one that created this situation. No one else."

"But you're making it _worse_, Tommy. People give each other second chances all the time. Why don't you try putting yourself in my shoes- right now? You can't even imagine how I feel and you won't even pretend to care," she said.

"You should really stop making everything about you," he said.

"Tommy... if you won't take me back and start over fresh for your own son, I can't do this," she said with absolutely no emotion.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"The parenting thing. I can't do it. You can have fun being a single father. I'm bowing out. Signing away my rights," she said seriously.

"Let me get this straight. You're going to abandon your own son because you can't have me? I knew you were selfish, but, this is unbelievable," he said. He still couldn't believe that anything she did shocked him.

"I wanted what was best for him. But, you refused. Be sure to tell him that. Be sure to tell him that you drove his mother away," Nina said as she stood. "All you had to do was agree to at least try. That's all you had to do. But, you're too stubborn. So, I'm leaving and I will not be back." It was clear she meant it. She turned and began heading away.

Tommy stared after her, feeling a little dazed.

* * *


	25. Chapter 25

**_Well, here's yet another chapter of this story. I'm getting ready to wrap it up very soon._**

_**Thanks, as usual, for the support.**_

**Warning**:** This chapter contains adult content**.

* * *

**(Six months later)**

"Dinner was great as always, Kat. Thanks," Tommy said that evening.

"Anytime," Katherine said with a smile.

The former pink ranger had gotten her own place a few months ago and Tommy came over to eat dinner with her once a week- this had been going on for the past month. Baby Josh was currently being watched by Tommy's mother. Anyhow, Tommy and Katherine were sitting on her sofa, sipping wine and relaxing.

"I know she may never be a pleasant subject for you, but, have you heard anything from Nina yet?" Katherine asked. Nina'd fulfilled her promise to leave months ago. Tommy's friends still couldn't believe a woman would actually choose to leave her child simply because she couldn't have things her way.

Tommy sighed and shook his head. "Nah. I don't think she's gonna be contacting me anytime soon. I'm glad her family's a part of Josh's life, though. I mean, I couldn't let them suffer because of Nina." Nina's parents and sister visited often. As for Nina herself, she was living somewhere in Pennsylvania- according to her family.

"I'll just never understand how anyone could look at that little boy of yours and leave him. I feel so horrible for him. He didn't deserve this," Katherine said.

"You're right. But I think he's better off. I know that sounds terrible, but-" Tommy was saying.

"No, I understand, Tommy. Nina obviously isn't mother material," Katherine said.

"But _you_ are. Kat, I know I've thanked you already, but, I've gotta do it again. Thank you for helping me out so much with Josh. You've just been..._ more_ than amazing and I really appreciate it," he said with a grateful smile. She'd devoted so much of her free time to his son- and him, of course.

"I know you do and you know that helping you is not a problem for me. That little boy has stolen my heart," she said with a warm smile. "I wanna thank you again, too. For helping me deal with the pain of losing the person I'll always like to think Mike truly was. You were there every step of way."

"You know I wouldn't have had it any other way," he quipped- causing her to laugh. "But I was more than glad to help. I don't like seeing you in pain."

"I don't like seeing you in pain, either," she said as they sat their glasses on the coffee table. "When I think of all that's happened... well, drama really never ends for ex-superheroes, does it?"

Tommy laughed and nodded in agreement. "True." Then, he leaned forward and embraced her.

When the hug ended, she kissed his cheek and they smiled at each other simultaneously. Tommy's hand began thinking on its own... it reached up and touched her face. Their smiles faded slowly, then, they leaned in. The second their lips touched, their heart rates picked up.

* * *

They were on her bed a short while later, kissing hungrily. Holding onto each other as though a strong wind would carry one of them away if they let go. Their bodies already overheated. It was more than lust and desire, it was need. It was need and something else they weren't going to discuss at the moment. When Tommy pulled away suddenly, she stared at him in confusion- breathing heavily.

"Are you sure?" he asked, breathing hard as well.

"I'm positive," she said, then, proceeded to remove her shirt and bra.

He gawked for a moment- unable to help it- then, removed his own shirt. Katherine inhaled sharply before running her hand over his hard chest in a sensual manner. That, along with the softness and warmth of her hand, caused a groan of pleasure to escape from him. He claimed her mouth in another fiery kiss, her arms came around his neck, then, he began leaning her back on the bed... .

After they were both free of all clothing, Katherine lay- moaning softly and gripping the covers- while Tommy busied himself by slowly kissing her all over. Katherine's head was spinning and the feel of his lips was causing wild sensations within her.

A couple minutes later, he'd positioned himself atop her and stared down at her. Their eyes were swirling with so many tumultuous emotions.

"Now, Tommy... please," she whispered.

That was all he needed to hear. He entered her and began moving slowly and deeply within her. She closed her eyes and they both started to moan at the exact same time. After a few minutes, his thrusts deepened and her legs came around his waist. They had developed an erotic, sensuous rhythm. Both began slipping into a dreamlike state. Wave after wave of excitement and intense desire crashed over them as they journeyed to the highest point of ecstasy.

They felt as though they were flying. Together. In their own universe. Sometime later, both felt their climax approaching and they locked eyes with each other. They wanted to- needed to- arrive at completion simultaneously.

"Wait for me," they whispered in unison. Moments later, they came together.

* * *

Nearly twenty minutes later, they were laying intertwined with each other. Neither wanted to budge an inch. They were filled with absolute contentment. Felt as though they were in a world where only serenity existed. If only... .

"I love you," he admitted quietly. She pulled away slightly to look up at him and he smiled. "I was determined not to let anyone in ever again after the "wedding that didn't happen"- even though I knew you'd never burn me. But you managed to make me fall in love with you all over again without even trying and I'm happy you did, Kat."

Tears sprang to her eyes unexpectedly. "You're not alone in that boat, Tommy. I fell in love with you all over again, too."

A bolt of happiness went through him. "I think it was meant to happen this way. We had to go through what we did to get to this place- again."

"And it's better than ever," she said.

"Definitely," he said before their lips met in a loving kiss.

* * *


	26. Chapter 26

_**This is the absolute final chapter of "You're More Than Amazing." I just felt it was time to end it.**_

_**I want to thank everyone for the support you've shown throughout this fic. Thanks so, so much.**_

**On with the conclusion...**

* * *

**(Sixteen Years Later)**

"Mom, can I borrow your car tonight?" Joshua Oliver, whom was now almost seventeen, asked on Friday morning.

"Say no, Mom. He drives like a maniac. Spare all earthlings," thirteen-year-old Rachel Oliver said.

"Rach is right," eleven-year-old Emma Oliver said.

"Why don't you two put a sock in it?" Josh said in annoyance.

"Why don't _you_-" Rachel began.

"Kids, don't. It's too early to give me a headache," Katherine Oliver said. "Just eat your breakfast."

"Morning, everybody," Thomas Oliver said as he walked into the kitchen. He hadn't gone by "Tommy" in years- even though his friends and wife still used the nickname at times. He didn't mind at all because it was one of the parts of his past that he wanted to keep alive.

"Good morning, honey," Katherine said to her husband of fifteen years.

"Morning, Dad," the kids chorused as their father took his seat at the table.

"So, the car, Mom... can I?" Josh asked in a hopeful tone.

"Sure, sweetie," Katherine replied.

"Thanks," Josh said with a grin.

"What do you have planned for tonight, son?" Thomas asked.

"I'm gonna take Lisa Wallace to the movies tonight," the teen boy said, then, cleared his throat. "You know, Mom and Dad, we can solve, like, soooo many problems if you guys bought me a car. Think about it. I could help you guys out with errands and Rach and Emma with all their lame stuff."

"_You're_ lame," Emma said, glaring at her brother.

"And a moron," Rachel said.

"Well, if anybody would know anything about lame morons-" Josh was saying.

"Less insulting, more eating," Thomas said firmly.

"Your father's right. You all have to head to school soon," Katherine said.

"Sorry," the kids chorused.

Thomas looked at his wife and each of their kids and his heart warmed. He often wondered if it were a crime to be as happy as he'd been all these years. '_This was exactly the way my life was supposed to turn out. Exactly_,' he thought. When he looked at his wife again, he wasn't surprised to see her smiling at him. He smiled back easily.

* * *

"Dad, can I talk to you?" Josh asked the next afternoon as entered the family den.

Thomas sighed. "Josh, if this is about getting a car, your mother and I have already told you that-"

"No, it's not about that. Honest," Josh said.

"Have a seat, then," Thomas said.

Josh walked over to a chair and plopped down in it. He took a deep breath. "It's about Nina," he said seriously. "I've been thinking a lot about her lately." His father's eyebrows shot up. "I didn't wanna mention it to Mom because I didn't want her to feel bad."

Thomas smiled. "That's really considerate of you, Josh, but, your mom won't mind you thinking about Nina. It's perfectly natural- seeing as how she's your birth mother." He and Katherine had talked to Josh about Nina several years ago.

"I've been thinking of what her life might be like and what's it _been_ like. Wondering if she's married and if I have any more siblings out there... wondering if she actually stuck around for _them_," Josh said with more than a hint of bitterness.

A surge of sympathy went through Thomas.

Josh shook his head. "I'm always gonna be angry with her, but, I'm also always gonna wish that I'd known her. Is that stupid or crazy?"

"Of course not. She carried you for nine months and- to tell the truth- I'd be worried if you didn't wish that, son," his father told him.

"I'm glad you don't think this means anything, Dad. Because Katherine Oliver _is_ my mother and I wouldn't have it any other way," Josh said, meaning it.

"I know you wouldn't, Joshua," Thomas said.

Just then, Katherine stepped into the doorway and Josh instantly rose to his feet. She smiled as her son began approaching her. "I just stopped in to say that the girls and I are about to head to the store and-" she was saying, but, stopped abruptly when Josh hugged her tightly. She blinked, but, returned the hug with no hesitation at all. "Not that I mind, but, what was that for?" she asked after it'd ended.

Josh smiled. Seeing her made him feel totally grateful all over again. "Just... I love you, Mom. I really do."

"I love you, too, sweetheart," she said with a soft smile.

"I know you do," he said. "Well, I'm gonna go into the backyard and play a little basketball." His mother stepped aside so he could exit the room. He began heading off, then, stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Thanks, Mom. For everything."

* * *

"We've come a long way, haven't we?" Thomas said to his wife that night.

"I'll say," Katherine said. The couple was in bed, snuggled up together. Rachel and Emma were spending the night with friends and Josh was out with a girl. "And the best part is that we'll keep going."

"You better believe it," he said as he gave her a gentle, loving squeeze. "Kat, I love this life. I love it and I love belonging to this family. I can't even tell you how much."

"I feel the exact same way. I have to tell you something. A long time ago, I had started to believe that this kind of happiness only existed in dreams," she said.

"I know what you mean, honey. If it wasn't for you bringing something back to life inside of me... I don't know where I'd be and I don't even wanna think about it," he said seriously. "That's why I wanna thank you- again. You're so... you've been... I've just never seen anything like you."

She smiled. "The feeling is mutual. I love you so much."

"I love you, too. With everything I have," he said. She looked up at him and they shared a kiss- both silently thanking each another once again.

* * *

**Endnotes**:

**_Well, I hope everyone enjoyed reading this story as much I enjoyed writing it. Sorry this chapter wasn't longer. Diva out. _**


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